Harry Campbell Hannay, M.C., died in Bungsar Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, on 7th February, 1961, at the age of 85.
Mr. Hannay was born in Scotland and received his technical training between 1896 and 1900 as an apprentice to Messrs. John and G.H. Geddes, civil and mining engineers, Edinburgh, and during that period also attended classes in colliery engineering at Heriot-Watt College. He was assistant to Messrs. Geddes for a few months and in 1901 spent a year studying and working in collieries, mines and laboratories in Edinburgh, Camborne and London. From 1902 to 1905 Mr. Hannay was employed in China as surveyor, assayer and prospecting engineer with Anglo-French Quicksilver and Mining Concessions, Ltd., and in November, 1905, joined The Borneo Co., Ltd., Sarawak, as assistant mining engineer, remaining there until 1907.
He came back to the United Kingdom and for the following two years studied at Edinburgh University and at the Camborne School of Metalliferous Mining where he gained first-class certificates in mining, mineralogy and mineral and metallurgical chemistry. Mr. Hannay joined the Scottish Spitzbergen expedition in 1909 as mining geologist under Dr. W.S. Bruce and later that year was engaged in reporting on mineral holdings in Newfoundland with Reid Newfoundland Railway. He went to South Africa and during the next two years was reporting on properties and equipment in Cape Colony, Transvaal, Christiana District and Griqualand West. He worked in Nigeria from 1911 to the early part of 1914, first as prospecting engineer and geologist for Naraguta Tin Mines, Ltd., then from 1912 to 1913 as manager of Karama Areas, Ltd., and finally as manager and acting general manager of Naraguta Tin Mines, Ltd. During that period he was a member of the local council of the Nigerian Chamber of Mines.
Mr. Hannay served during the first world war with the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium from 1915 to 1919. He was made acting captain, R.E., in 1916 and acting major two years later. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1916 and was mentioned in despatches in 1918. On resigning his commission in 1920 he was granted the rank of captain.
After a short period as manager of Poldice mine, Cornwall, Mr. Hannay took up the post of manager of French Kepong Mines, Ltd., Selangor, in 1920. Four years later he moved to Dutch West Borneo to report on molybdenite deposits, but returned to Malaya to carry out check boring for Tronoh Mines, Ltd., followed by various commissions, principally as a supervising and consulting engineer. In 1926 he set up a joint practice with the late Mr. R.S. Steedman in Ipoh, Perak, under the title Hannay and Steedman. Mr. Steedman left the partnership in 1933 but the business continued under the same style until Mr. Hannay’s death. The work, though mainly in Malaya, included prospecting and reporting in Burma and Siam.
During the second world war Mr. Hannay was interned as a civilian at Changi jail, Singapore. He returned to Ipoh in 1946 to resume his business activities, and worked for a time in Ipoh for the British Military Administration as Custodian of Enemy Property.
In addition to his many other business activities Mr. Hannay served as adviser to, and director of, several Malayan companies and, in spite of his advanced years, continued actively in his work until his death.
Mr. Hannay had been a member of the Institution since 1907; he was elected an Associate Member in that year and transferred to Membership in 1930. He was also a member of the Institution of Mining Engineers.
Vol. 71, Trans IMM 1961-62, pp.554-5
