Robert Philip Cecil Smith died at Aylesford, Kent, on December 20th, 1941, at the age of 42.
He left Rugby in September, 1917, and in April, 1918, he received his commission as second lieutenant in the Somersetshire Light Infantry, with which unit he served in France until wounded in October. He was awarded the M.C., and in the following year he was attached to the North Russian Relief Force, and was promoted to lieutenant in September, 1919.
On leaving the Service, he entered the mining profession, and was employed in Arizona, U.S.A., and Sonora, Mexico, from June, 1923, until November, 1927. In the following year he, took a course at the Camborne School of Mine where he obtained the 1st Class diploma, and the Richard Pearce gold medal for 1930.
In August, 1930, he went to Northern Rhodesia, as chief sampler and assistant geologist at the Roan Antelope Copper Mines, Ltd., and in May, 1934, he accepted an appointment with the Ariston Gold Mines, Ltd., at Prestea, Gold Coast, where he remained until 1936. Shortly after the outbreak of the present war, he rejoined the Army in the Royal Engineers (Tunnelling Engineers) with the rank of captain but subsequently had to retire through ill-health.
Captain Smith was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1934.
Vol. 52, Trans I.M.M., 1942-43, p.401
