By John Webb
| Brian Burton was born in North Woolwich
on the 9th October 1926 and died on the 27th December 2013. He
was evacuated during World War 2 and after he left school he was
living near Chester and amongst other jobs he worked in an
aircraft factory building Wellington bombers. He was called up
after the war in Europe was over and he joined the Navy and
served in Sri Lanka. After demobilisation he followed a varied
career in electronics and communications at Imperial College,
London, the B.B.C.'s Transmission Development Department and
Thurrock Technical College where he became Head of Electrical
Engineering. He married his wife, Margaret, in 1950 and shortly after moved to South Ockendon where, as his children grew up, he became involved in local life, the church of St. Nicholas, the Community Forum and especially local history. His very considerable collection of books on history and his membership of many organisations did not imply an armchair historian, his involvement with all his interests was very much "hands on". He attended various extra-mural courses in archaeology, history and even Latin. At Coalhouse Fort he had been a guide since soon after the Project's inception in 1983 and the amount of information he imparted on his tours was legendary. He was similarly involved with the Royal Opera House High House Project at Purfleet.
|
|
|
|
Beyond Thurrock he joined the Essex branch
of the Historical Association, he was a member of the Essex
Society for Archaeology and History, a committee member of the
Friends of Historic Essex and between 2001 and 2010 he was
Vice-Chairman, Chairman and President of the Essex
Archaeological and Historical Congress. But it was for his very
active work with our Society that we will most remember him, as
a member of the committee, contributing to Panorama, giving
talks, and staffing the stands at the Orsett Show, the Horndon
Feast and Fayre and other local events. Whenever our stand or
the event encouraged it, he would be the first to dress in
period costume. At one of our Christmas meetings, those who were
there will never forget him reciting - or I should say
performing - with assistance, "There's a one-eyed yellow idol to
the north of Khatmandu" (or was it to the south?). The Society has provided a garden seat in his memory at Coalhouse Fort. This was dedicated on 31st August 2014 by our Chairman at a simple ceremony attended by members of the Society and all his family including four great-grand-children.
|
