Angela Fairburn

Submitted by jjohnantonsmith on Sat, 04/02/2022 - 01:02

In 1951 I went by BOAC plane to Hong Kong, arriving August 6th. Sitting opposite me for the whole way, a journey taking 2-3 days, was a 15 year-old schoolgirl, Angela Fairburn. We stayed the night before in Rangoon. I liked her a lot and hoped to meet up with her in Hong Kong. She asked me out with her parents, but I could not make it then. I never heard from her again and I have always wondered what happened to her.

I am 87 years old now so this query is a bit late in the day!

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At first I wondered if the Vancouver Sun article was talking about another person with the same name, as although the date of birth matched, there was no mention in the article of the family returning to Hong Kong after the war.

But looking at the notes on Angela's step-mother Mary, there's an entry:

1948 Passenger List  Hong Kong via San Francisco to Canada

Mary Constance Fairburn  47 married In transit to Canada born Fernie B.C.

And on p.24 of the South China Sunday Post - Herald for 4 May 1952 there's a Mr T C Fairburn mentioned playing bowls for the Hong Kong Cricket Club. Angela's father was Thomas Campbell Fairburn, so it looks like they did return to Hong Kong after the war.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this post so far. Any further information would be welcome. Indeed, subject to the usual online privacy/security considerations, it would be good - if it's feasible - to make direct contact with Angela and perhaps to exchange a few details of how life has treated us both since we met.