Laurence Malcolm McKee died in Malaya on 25th March, 1953, at the age 31.
He was educated at Blundells School from 1934 to 1938, and then entered the Camborne School of Metalliferous Mining. After his first year there, on the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Air Force in September, 1939, and served in the General Duties (Pilot) Branch in various single-engined fighter squadrons. He was demobilized in January, 1946, with the rank of flight-lieutenant, and returned to Camborne soon afterwards, completing the course in 1947 and gaining the A.C.S.M.
Mr. McKee was employed in South Africa with Randfontein Estates Gold Mining Co. Witwatersrand, Ltd., for eighteen months, first as sampler and later as study department assistant, and in March, 1949, went to Malaya on his appointment by Anglo-Oriental (Malaya), Ltd., to the position of shift foreman at Southern Kinta Consolidated, Ltd. (Kampar Malay Section), Perak. Very soon afterwards he was made assistant superintendent to Kamunting Tin Dredging Ltd., Taiping, and early in 1950 took charge of Larut Tinfields, Ltd., for a month, before being appointed plant engineer to Thailand Tin Mines, Ltd., at Pinyok, S. Siam. He was sent to North Borneo, as field engineer, on a prospecting investigation, later in 1950, and at the time of his death was at the Perak District Office of Anglo-Oriental (Malaya) Ltd., at Malim Nawar.
Mr. McKee was elected to Studentship of the Institution in 1947, and was transferred to Associate Membership in 1951.
Vol. 62, Trans IMM 1952-53, p.562
