Papers of Major Geoffrey N. Burden, CMG, MBE

This material is held atBodleian Library, University of Oxford

  • Reference
    • GB 161 MSS. Afr. s. 1715 (36) (Box 2)
  • Dates of Creation
    • [c1980s?]
  • Language of Material
    • English.
  • Physical Description
    • 113 ff.

Scope and Content

Personal data sheet, correspondence with Oxford Development Records Project, [1978-1984]; extracts from autobiography relating to service in East African forces, with transcript of entire autobiography, [c1980s?].

Administrative / Biographical History

Major Geoffrey Noel Burden (fl 1898-1980s), CMG (1952), MBE (1938), was educated at Exeter School and Royal Military College, Sandhurst, undertaking military service, 1915-1923 and [1940]-1942, serving latterly in 2/2nd Battalion, King's African Rifles, Nyasaland, 1940, 2nd East Africa (Holding Battalion), Northern Rhodesia, 1941, and the civil resettlement camp, Nyasaland, 1942. He began civilian work as a cadet, Nyasaland, 1925, district officer, 1927 and Director of Publicity, 1936. He became Chief Recruiting Officer, 1940 and Assistant Chief Secretary, 1945. He was made Commissioner of Labour, Gold Coast, 1946 and Chief Commissioner, 1950.

Other Finding Aids

Listed as no. 920 (36) in Manuscript Collections in Rhodes House Library Oxford, Accessions 1978-1994 (Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1996).

Related Material

Memorandum on labour migration in Africa, 1951, report, The Gonja Development Company, Damongo, December 1950-June 1952 (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 652); tape and transcript of interview concerning administrative service, 1925-1946, in Nyasaland (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 1454); tape and transcript of interview concerning experiences as Labour Commissioner, Gold Coast, 1946-1960, and as Chief Regional Officer, 1960-1963, Northern Territories (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 1435); report and articles on migrant Nyasaland labour, 1947-1964 (ref. MSS. Afr. s. 1742 (6)).