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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 438

The photograph and scrapbook of Captain J. E. Fairburn, O.B.E., Shanghai Municipal Police, Singapore Police & Royal Malaysia Police - the son of the legendary Lieutenant-Colonel W. E. Fairburn, co-inventor of the Sykes-Fairburn fighting knife, well-used by allied irregular forces during the Second World War

Scrapbook/photograph album, marbled covers with cloth spine, including various school photographs and cuttings, 1926-27 & 1932 Shanghai 'troubles' (including captured troops, battle scenes, aftermath of bombings), landings and searching for smuggling, scenes of various S.V.C. individuals, travels in Europe & China, binding rather worn but a valuable resource of unpublished images

John Edwin Fairburn was born on 27 February 1914 at Shanghai, son of William Ewart Fairburn, Assistant Commissioner Shanghai Municipal Police. Educated at Shoreham Grammar School, he was in the School Cadet Corps and also in the Shanghai Volunteer Corps Cadets afterwards. Serving in the Shanghai Police Force and Municipal Council Finance Department from June 1940, he thence served in Singapore as Officer Commanding Provost Unit, 11th Indian Division and was taken a Prisoner of War in February 1942. Having been released at the end of hostilities he joined the Special Branch in Malaya and was also earned the C.P.M. (London Gazette 7 June 1951, refers) and the O.B.E. (Civil Division) whilst Assistant Commissioner, Royal Malaysia Police (London Gazette 13 June 1964, refers). He died at Looe, Cornwall in November 1977.

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Estimate
£300 to £500

Starting price
£250