Wolfram Hermann Albert Penseler died in Sine Road prisoner-of-war camp, Singapore, on November 2nd, 1944, at the age of 42.
He was born in New Zealand, and in 1918 studied at the Thames School of Mines entering the Waihi School of Mines in 1919. From 1920 to 1924 he was a student at the Otago School of Mines, Dunedin, during which time he also undertook practical metal and coalmining work. In 1922 he was awarded the Ulrich Memorial Prize and Medal for mineralogy and petrology, and in 1924 was granted the degrees of B.E. (Mining) and B.Sc. (Now Zealand) and the Diploma of Associateship in Mining of the Otago School of Mines.
He subsequently gained the degree of B.E. (Metallurgy) and the A.O.S.M. (Metallurgy). During 1925 he carried out briquetting research for the New Zealand Government and also continued his geological studies at Victoria University College, doing research work on the microstructure of New Zealand coal, for which he was awarded the degree of M.Sc. in 1926. For his subsequent researches in the micropetrological examination of the structure of New Zealand coals, he had conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Science in geology. During the 1926 Session of the Otago School of Mines he acted as professor of metallurgy, and for two years was director of Huntly School of Mines.
Dr. Penseler then held various positions in New Zealand, first in charge of prospecting operations for coal and gold at Charleston for I.C.I., Ltd., then at Golden Point mine. He was battery superintendent at Monowai G.C.L. Mines, Ltd., Thames, for five months, and then became mining engineer to the Unemployment Board, New Zealand, later joining Investigations, Ltd., a prospecting and development company, for ten months. From 1934-35 he was prospecting and reporting on alluvial gold areas for Austral Malay Tin, Ltd., at Cromwell, New Zealand.
In January, 1936, went to Malaya for the same company as manager of Puchong Tin Dredging, Ltd. In 1937 he was working with Asam Kumbang Tin Dredging. Ltd. at Taiping, Perak, and early in 1939 joined Raub Australian Gold Mining Co., Ltd., where he became general manager. Dr. Penseler was captured by the Japanese with others of the company and was interned in Changi and Sine Road camps. News of his captivity was received in 1944, and it has since been learned that he had been subjected to solitary confinement for seven months prior to his death.
Dr. Penseler was elected a Student of the Institution in 1925 and was transferred to Associateship in 1927.
Vol. 55, Trans I.M.M., 1945-6, p.576
