Donald Gill died in London on 24th August, 1964, at the age of 74.
Mr. Gill’s technical education was gained at the Royal School of Mines, where he was awarded the first class Associateship in Met e previous year he had been awarded the Murchison Medal for Geology.
His professional career began in the United States of America at the ‘Copper Queen’ Smelter, Arizona, where he undertook various duties in the sampling and ore-bedding plant and assay office, together with general engineering work. In 1912 he left the U.S.A. to take up the post of reduction works assistant at the mill of Prestea Block ‘A’, Ltd., West Africa, remaining there until returning to the United Kingdom in the following year. After spending seven months in the London offices of Mr. A.G. Charleton and Mr. C.W. Purington, Mr. Gill was employed at the Ridder mine, Siberia, where he did surveying, sampling and general engineering work.
During the first World War Mr. Gill served with the Royal Garrison Artillery, gaining the Military Cross in 1918. He retired with the rank of Major in March, 1919, and then returned to Siberia to carry out development and prospecting work for Russo Asiatic Consolidated, Ltd., but the Bolshevik revolution led to his imprisonment for almost a year.
Following his release, Mr. Gill worked as underground manager, Mines de Boson (Var), France, from 1921 to 1924, and for the following three years as general manager, Mines de Villemagne, Gard. From 1928 he worked in the capacity of consultant, undertaking work in Europe, South America, Africa and Australia.
Mr. Gill was consulting engineer to the Non-Ferrous Metallic Ores Committee in 1943, and from May of the same year until September, 1945, he was a member of the Mineral Division of the British Economic Mission in North Africa, for which work he was decorated by the Tunisian Government. After the war he resumed his consulting work and in 1955 became a director of Sinai Mining Co., Ltd.
Mr. Gill was elected a Student of the Institution in 1909, was transferred to Associate Membership in 1916 and to full Membership in 1927. He had served as a Member of Council since 1939 and was elected a Vice-President for the three Sessions 1948-1951. Mr. Gill had served on various ad hoc Committees and was a member of several standing Committees. He was Chairman of a Committee set up by the Council to formulate Rulings and Recommendations on Professional Conduct, Reports for publication in connection with commercial undertakings, Descriptions of Ore Reserves, etc. The Committee’s recommendations were circulated to members in 1961.
In 1963 the Council conferred Honorary Membership on Mr. Gill in recognition of his services to the mining profession and to the Institution.
Mr Gill made many contributions to the discussion of Institution papers and included among his own publications was the paper ‘Air survey in relation to geology’ (Transactions, vol. 42, 1932-33).
Mr J.B. Richardson writes: Donald Gill, whom I had known since 1907, belonged to an almost extinct species — the independent, individual consultant with a sound managerial background.
He gained his Associateship in metallurgy but, like Sir Lewis Fermor, his first was geology, as the record shows. So he soon switched to mining and mining geology and made a success of it. Such was the versatility of an earlier generation of R.S.M. men.
His many ventures abroad took him to every continent, but his most remarkable experience was his release from prison in Irkutsh. This was negotiated by H.G. Wells, then visiting Russia, on a plea from Donald’s father.
In later years, although handicapped by defective sight and hearing, as a member of committees, he showed an outstanding zeal and enthusiasm for the Institution, of which there was never a more loyal member.
Perhaps a little dour, he gave always of his best and to the end of his long life was active, keen and vigorous.
Vol. 74, Trans IMM 1964-65, pp.102-103
