Frederick Harold Williams died in Hove Hospital on 18th January, 1949, at the age of 69.
He was born at Alexandra, Otago, New Zealand, and was educated at Alexandra High School. In 1897 he became a mining cadet with Manorburn Gold Dredging Co. at Otago, and after three years Joined the staff of Little River Dredging Co. and Gungarline River Dredging Co. in New South Wales, Australia. He went to South America in 1905 as manager of Rio del Oro Gold Dredging Co. in Tierra del Fuego, and after four years left to travel in Sumatra and Central Borneo in charge of a prospecting expedition for the General Exploration Co. of The Hague from 1909 to 1911.
In September, 1912, Mr. Williams was appointed general manager of Fuego Gold Syndicate, Tierra del Fuego, but returned to England in 1915 to serve with commissioned rank with the Royal Engineers in France, and was mentioned in despatches. He was demobilized in 1919, and returned to South America as assistant general manager and, later, general manager of Fuego Development Co.
He left in 1924 to go to Siberia as general manager of Vint Eastern Siberian Goldfields, Ltd., but resigned after a year and was employed from 1925 to 1928 as mining representative in Malaya and Siam of the Borneo Co., Ltd., subsequently becoming acting general manager of Tavoy Tin Dredging Corporation.
He returned to England in 1929 and was engaged on consulting work for the South Andes Syndicate and the Colombia Syndicate. In 1932 he joined the staff of the West African Gold Corporation and on the formation in 1937 of the Bremang Gold Dredging Co. he was appointed general manager, and held this position until his resignation in 1942 on account of ill health. His services were retained in a consultative capacity up to the time of his death, and during 1946-47 he was consultant to the Ministry of Supply on the rehabilitation of the Malayan tinfields.
Mr. Williams was elected to Associateship of the Institution in 1930 and was transferred to Membership in 1943.
Vol. 59, Trans IMM 1949-50, p.?
