Papers of Robin W.I. Band

Papers of Robin W.I. Band, Malayan Civil Service, including photocopied typescript of The Heights and the Depths, a memoir of internment by the Japanese and work on the Burma-Siam Railway, [1971], speeches, 1949-1956, and copy of Singapore: Memorandum for Commonwealth Conference, London, September 1950.

Robin W.I. Band (b 1907) was educated at the University of Aberdeen and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, taking a position as cadet in the colonial civil service in 1932 and serving in Canton, 1932-1934. He achieved the rank of cl. V (civil service), assistant prot., Chinese, 1934 and cl. IV, 1939. He took the position of district officer, Christmas Island, 1940 and rose to cl. III in 1944. He undertook military service, 1942-1945. In 1946 he became deputy commissioner, labour, Penang, and [Johore?], 1947. He was made cl. II, 1948, and Deputy Secretary, Economic Affairs, Singapore, 1949. In 1951 he gained the position of cl. IC and IB, Secretary, Social Welfare. He became Secretary to the Member for Education, Federation of Malaya, 1953, and Secretary to the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, 1955.

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Collection level description created by Paul Davidson, Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House.

The library holds a card index of all manuscript collections in its reading room.

No reproduction or publication of personal papers without permission. Contact the library in the first instance.

The library holds a speech and report, 6th session of the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, 1950, as adviser, Malaya and British Borneo group, and confidential minutes as Secretary to the Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Federation of Malaya, 1955.

The original of The Heights and the Depths is held at the Imperial War Museum, London.