James Ingram Milne was killed by dacoits near Mergni, Lower Burma, on February 18th, 1947, at the age of 64.
He was educated from 1893 to 1898 at Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen, and then attended evening classes in mechanical engineering subjects. He was apprenticed from 1899 to 1904 to Messrs. Hall, Russell & Co., Ltd., of Aberdeen, and spent, six years at sea and in various marine engineering occupations before being appointed, in January, 1911, chief engineer of the Hindu Choung Tin Dredging and Mining Co., Lower Burma, when he erected at Kyauk Medaung, Tuvoy, what is claimed to be the first dredge in that country. In August, 1912, he became mine manager, and two years later went into partnership with Mr. H.W. Booth of Ballarat, Victoria, in the firm of Booth & Milne at Tavoy. During the next ten years he was prospecting in Burma and subsequently managed tin properties on his own account.
Later he became senior partner of the firm Milne Bros. mining engineers, at Mergui, Lower Burma. This business was later associated with Messrs. Steel Bros. & Co. in forming the Lenyu Mining Co. and in the installation of a large all-electric dredge, which worked for about a year prior to the Japanese invasion of Burma. Mr. Milne was partly responsible for the evacuation of personnel and military and other stores from Victoria Point, and on reaching India via Rangoon spent about a year on voluntary work for the Indian Government. He returned to England in December, 1944, and endeavoured to collect salvage equipment; and replacements for the dredge, and in October, 1946, returned to Burma to supervise the salvage operations. It was while on this work that he was killed by dacoits.
Mr. Milne was elected to Associateship of the Institution in 1929.
Vol. 57, Trans IMM 1947-8, pp.476-7
