Claude Bramall BURGESS [1910-1998] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Claude Bramall BURGESS [1910-1998]

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Submitted by BHUI25044 on Sun, 2020-03-29 14:06
Names
Given: 
Claude Bramall
Family: 
Burgess
Sex: 
Male
Status: 
Deceased
Birth
Date: 
c.1910-01-01 (Month, Day are approximate)
Death
Date: 
c.1998-12-31 (Month, Day are approximate)

Any information  on Claude and his life would be of interest. He was Colonial Secretary in Hong Kong. I think when he left HK he necame HK's man in Brussels

Tags: 
Hong Kong Cadet
WW2: Interned at Stanley Camp
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Comments

Submitted by David on Thu, 2020-04-02 13:01.

A quick Google search turns up lots of information - is there anything specific you're looking for?

Submitted by BHUI25044 on Thu, 2020-04-02 13:14.

Nothing new on Google. Intersted in what he did post Hong Kong and family

Submitted by annpake on Thu, 2020-04-09 23:31.

He died in Westminster in 1998.

Submitted by BHUI25044 on Fri, 2020-04-10 06:29.

Thanks........anything further?

Submitted by defortescue on Fri, 2020-05-15 16:56.

Oxford University
1932 appointed a Hong Kong Cadet 
1939-41 Deputy Clerk to the Legislative Council
1941 8th December married in St John’s Cathedral Danish wife (witnessed by Tim Fortescue, PS to Governor, Mark Young)
1941-45 interned Stanley
7th September 1945 Staff Officer, British Military Administration under MacDougall
1946-49 seconded to the Colonial Office in London (promoted to Cadet Officer Class 1 on 14th October 1948)
1949 (8th March) – 1958 Deputy Colonial Secretary (on secondment to the Imperial Defence College January to December 1951).
1958 - 1963 Colonial Secretary
Director of International Trade at EFTA in Geneva 
1974-82 Headed up the Hong Kong representation to the European Communities in Brussels after which he retired.

Submitted by BHUI25044 on Sat, 2020-05-16 14:46.

Thank you for fleshing out Claude's details. What interests me is his post Hong Kong life and his personal details.  What happened to the Danish wife during the war and did the marriage last post war? There was talk at one time of a second wife.

Submitted by annpake on Sat, 2020-05-16 21:05.

Date of birth shown on passenger list London to Hong Kong December 1955

Andrews Cards

Claude Bramhall (sic) Burgess married Sessan Lilian Fjord Christensen 8 December 1941 in Hong Kong

Marriage 1969 Westminster London

Claude B Brammall to Linda N Beilby

Submitted by BHUI25044 on Sat, 2020-05-16 18:15.

Thanks for even more; a very interesting HK date for the wedding. Was she innterned in Stanley?  As Denmark had been invaded by the Germans in 1940 I would suggest that she must have been considered a belligerent by the Japanese.. Did she survive the war and what happened afterwards.

Was she with Claude in his post HK appointments?

 

Submitted by annpake on Sun, 2020-05-17 20:42.

Andrews Cards 25 July 1944

Marriage on 8 December 1941 at St John's Cathedral Hong Kong Claude Bramhall(sic) Burgess R.A. second son of Mr and Mrs G H Burgess The Walnuts Weaverham to to Sessan Lilian Fjord Christensen only daughter of Mrs K Neckelman of the Peak Mansions Hong Kong. Announcement delayed because of the outbreak of war.

Passenger List January 1949 Southampton to Hong Kong

Claude B Brammall 38 Colonial Service and Sessan Lilian Brammall 27 houswife

Marriage Westminster London Quarter 4 1951

Sessan L F Christensen to  John Wallace Goodwyn Kay born 02/08/1917 Lymington Hampshire died 12/06/1972 of The White House Snoxall Cranleigh Surrey

Electoral Records 2002 - 2005

Sessan L F Kay  Nyetimber Lane Pullborough West Sussex

Other occupants  John, Jessica, Lucy and Sally Aumonier

Marriage 1979 Surrey

John M Aumonier to Sally K W Kay

Submitted by BHUI25044 on Sun, 2020-05-17 14:39.

Thank you yet again. Obviously the marraige failed soon after they returned to Hong Kong.

The next question is. Do you know if Claude re-married at about the time he left HK or did he just have a partner whilst in Geneva and  Brussels. There was talk that he did but it is unconfirmed

 

Submitted by annpake on Sun, 2020-05-17 18:57.

They married  shortly before he became a POW and she was interned so in fact they spent only a short time together before they  were separated by circumstances for around five years. Many other marriages failed during this period. Claude appeared to be living alone in electoral records post war.