William John Stewart Oates died on 21st November, 1952, at Eldoret, Kenya. He was 57 years of age.
After a period in the drawing office of Falmouth Consolidated Mines, Ltd., Cornwall, he joined the staff as a learner for 12 months, and from 1912 to 1914 was a student of the Redruth School of Mines. He gained a first class Diploma of the School in June, 1914, and subsequently spent two months as assayer with Tresavean Mines, Ltd.
On the outbreak of war he joined the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and subsequently served in the Indian Army with the 23rd Sikh Pioneers. He attained the rank of acting major and was awarded the M.C. He was twice mentioned in despatches.
He prospected in Kenya for a short period in 1921, and in June took up the position of surveyor in the Public Works Department, Kenya, and from 1922 to 1925 was engaged on railway construction. He farmed on his own account from 1925 to 1928, and then took charge of the Kabale Tin Concessions in Uganda for a year. He returned to farming but from 1931 to 1932 was engaged on prospecting and reporting work in the Kakamega area of Kenya.
Mr. Oates then took up the post of underground manager and engineer-in-charge for Risks, Ltd., Kakamega, and in July, 1934, was appointed manager of the Lolgorien area, Kenya Consolidated Goldfields, Ltd., early in 1937 becoming manager of their Kitere properties. In July, 1938, he was promoted field manager of the company.
As an officer of the special reserve Mr. Oates was called on at the outbreak of war in 1939 and raised the 54th E.A. Field Coy., R.E. After the Moyale operations he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and appointed C.R.E., 12th African Division. He was again mentioned in despatches and was awarded the O.B.E. for his work in the Italian Somaliland and Abyssinian campaigns. He remained with East Africa command for the rest of the war, serving as Deputy Chief Engineer, with the rank of colonel.
On the cessation of hostilities, Mr. Oates returned to Kenya Consolidated Goldfields, Ltd., as consulting engineer, and in 1950 was appointed to the board of directors.
He was elected to Associate Membership of the Institution in 1933, and was transferred to Membership in 1944.
Vol. 62, Trans IMM 1952-53, pp.419-420
