Reginald Charles Wilson died in Lagos, Nigeria, on May 7th, 1943, at the age of 55.

An Australian by birth, he entered Melbourne University in 1906, and after completing two years of the mining engineering course changed to science, and took his B.Sc. degree in 1910, having specialized in geology. Subsequently he obtained the M.Sc. and D.Sc. degrees of Melbourne. In 1911 he was employed under Dr. (now Sir) E.O. Teale on the Mineral Survey of Portuguese East Africa, which was organized by the Imperial Institute. This work continued until the end of 1911, when it was abandoned because of the war, and Mr. Wilson came to England and joined the Army.

After nearly five years’ service, first as captain in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and later as captain in the Royal Engineers, including two years in France, he was demobilized and appointed in 1919 to the staff of the Geological Survey of Nigeria, under Dr. J.D. Falconer. He eventually succeeded Dr. Falconer as Director of the Survey in 1927, and still held that appointment at the time of his death. His published work includes many official geological reports on Nigerian geology.

Dr. Wilson was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1920.

Vol. 53, Trans IMM 1943-4, p.442

Back to index page