John Boraine Whitehead died on 28th March, 1961, at the age of 50.
He was born in Johannesburg and went to school in England, in New Zealand, and finally at Prince Edward School, Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia. He began work under his father at Mandora mine, Banket, and while studying surveying worked on the Idle mica mine and Globe and Phoenix mine. From 1931 to 1932 he was assistant surveyor and assayer, Sherwood Starr gold mine, for London and Rhodesian Mining and Land Co., Ltd., and then managed Windsor mine tribute at Salisbury.
From 1935 to 1938 he was surveyor and assayer in charge of underground workings, Rezende Mines, Ltd., and then spent a few months as acting manager of Berea gold mine, Belingwe. He transferred to Beatrice Gold Mines, Ltd., as mine captain for a short period until the end of 1938, when he was appointed manager of Bangold Mines, Ltd., Bulawayo.
On the outbreak of war in 1939 Mr. Whitehead joined H.M. Forces and served with the Royal Engineers in Palestine and Abyssinia.
He was demobilized in 1945 and managed Vanad chrome mines for a year, but began mining on his own account at Eagle ‘A’ mine at Shangaani in 1946. It was not successful, however, and he took the position of manager of Horseshoe chrome mine, Darwendale, for six months before re-joining London and Rhodesian Mining and Land Co., Ltd., in 1948 as assistant engineer at their head office. He left in 1949 to manage a gold property — Mara mines — in Tanganyika, but returned the following year to the Lonrho group as surveyor and assayer, and later manager, of Vubachikwe mine, Gwanda. He was transferred to Arcturus Mines, Ltd., Salisbury, where he worked for five years, leaving to become general manager of Rose chrome mines. He retired from mining for a while, but worked again at Vubachikwe, and at the time of his death was a section manager for African Chrome Mines, Ltd., at Mtoroshanga.
Mr. Whitehead was elected an Affiliate of the Institution in 1954.
Vol. 72, Trans IMM 1962-63, pp.315-16
