James Gowie Simpson was killed in France by a sniper while engaged in forward work on the night of December 5th, 1916. He was 31 years of age, and held a commission in the Tunnelling Section of the Royal Engineers.
Mr. Simpson received his early education in the United States, and afterwards at Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh. He studied at the Royal School of Mines from 1903 to 1907, and obtained a first-class Associateship in both mining and metallurgy. He afterwards spent two years at the Bergakademie at Freiberg, in Saxony. He then went to the United States, and for two years was resident mining engineer to the Republic Coal Co., Roundup, Montana.
Returning home, he worked as assistant engineer to an Edinburgh firm of mining engineers from 1911 to 1913; and from 1913 until he joined H.M. Forces in 1916 he held the position of mining engineer to Messrs. E.H. Hunter & Co., of St. Mary Axe, London, E.C.
Mr. Simpson was admitted to Studentship of the Institution in 1906, and was transferred to Associateship in 1914.
Vol. 26, Trans I.M.M., 1916-17, pp.278
