George Thomas BYRNE [c.1885-1944] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

George Thomas BYRNE [c.1885-1944]

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Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2012-04-09 15:26
Names
Given: 
George Thomas
Family: 
Byrne
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
c.1885-06-02 (Year, Month, Day are approximate)
Death
Date: 
1944-06-01

Brian Edgar:

Professor of Chemistry at Hong Kong University before the war.

Tags: 
WW2: Interned at Stanley Camp
buried at Stanley Military Cemetery
Connections: 
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Comments

Submitted by Philip on Wed, 2015-12-02 14:32.

He was a Professor of Chemistry at Hong Kong University. He and his wife Ethel were billeted in Block 18 Room 15. He was aged fifty-nine at time of death. He suffered a coronary occlusion. "Rice grinding was tedious and for the elderly, an exhausting chore. In June 1944, Professor Byrne had the ultimate misfortune of dropping dead from a heart attack while grinding rice to make a cake for his 60th birthday." (Source: George Wright-Nooth). The Death Certificate mentions that he was grinding rice on the veranda outside the room. After a few minutes his friends heard him call out for help and they saw him collapse. He was placed on a bed and given First Aid. Doctor Milne soon arrived and ordered a stimulant be given. A short while later Doctor Montgomery arrived and announced life extinct.