Harry Carr Whitehead died after a long and tedious illness in Salisbury Hospital, Southern Rhodesia, on November 7th, 1935, at the age of 59.
He was born at Darjeeling, India, and started his mining career in Australia, where from 1893 to 1899 he was engaged in alluvial prospecting at Temora, New South Wales, and in practical mining at Wyalong. In the last named year he joined the New South Wales Mounted Rifles and went with the Australian contingent to South Africa, and served with distinction in the Boer War. After the war, he remained in the Transvaal until 1914, serving on the North Randfontein, Robinson Randfontein, New Goch, Apex, and New Kleinfontein gold mines, and the Rand Collieries.
In 1914 he went on a prospecting tour in North China for Messrs. Bainbridge, Seymour & Co., and on his return home, he obtained, in May, 1915, a commission in the Royal Engineers, and became Section Commander of the 170th, 182nd and 173rd Tunnelling Companies, obtaining the Military Cross in January, 1916.
In May, 1919, he was appointed manager of the Coleford Iron Ore Co., Gloucestershire, but, shortly afterwards went to Czechoslovakia, and thence to New Zealand, where for some time he was manager of the Waihi Grand Junction gold mine. He then went to Southern Rhodesia to take over the management of the Mandora mine.
Captain Whitehead was elected a Member of the Institution in 1920.
Vol. 45, Trans IMM 1935-36, p.524
