Edward Stanley BROOKS [1909-????]

Family lore tells us that Edward and two younger brothers were put into Dr. Bernardo’s Home* in London after the death of his mother in 1918.

Family lore also tells us that Edward joined the Hong Kong Police Force.

Although passenger records are incomplete, evidence has been found that Edward sailed back from Hong Kong to London in 1938 aboard the RMS Corfu, and he was already on the police force, so apparently there had been earlier voyages.

Edward returned to Hong Kong prior to the war.

The Japanese Army took over Hong Kong on Christmas Day 1941 following a brief but bloody battle.

At the onset of the Japanese occupation, all of the foreign civilians were rounded up and interred for the duration of the war. Edward became a Civilian Prisoner of War at Stanley Fort.

Through the kindness of Sarah Minney, a London genealogist, the following information was found.

“In 1941 he was a Police Sergeant based at the Police HQ in Central

When British people were rounded up in Jan 1942, he was initially put in the Luk Hoi Tong boarding house.

He is mentioned by name in book 51 in the bibliography (Prisoner of the Turnip Heads, George Wright-Nooth, Pen & Sword  1994)

He was soon transferred to Stanley, where he shared room 18 in Block 12 with three other police officers.”

At the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945, Edward seems to have stayed on for a brief period, then came back to the UK, arriving at Southampton on board the “Strathmore” in April of 1946.

Edward apparently returned to Hong Kong.

He arrived again at London on 14 May 1951, again aboard the “Corfu” He was accompanied by Minnie Brooks (age 29). Added later - She is a perfect match for Minnie Rankin Brooks, maiden name McLean born 1921 in Edinburgh. Had they had married in Hong Kong?

Added later – Passenger lists reveal that a Minni Rankin McLean, a 27-year-old nurse, of 150 Greenbank Road, Edinburgh departed Southampton for Hong Kong on 14 January 1949 aboard the “Carthage”.

While Edward and Minnie were in the UK in 1951, the King awarded Edward The Colonial Police Medal for Meritorious Service. By that time he held the rank of Inspector, Hong Kong Police Force.

Shipping records show that Edward and Minnie Rankin Brooks and a 2-month-old child returned to Hong Kong, sailing from London on 22 January 1952 aboard the “Chusan”. They indicated their permanent residence was Hong Kong.

Family lore tells us that Edward and Minnie had two sons, Edward and Martin.

On 9 May 1955, arriving at London from Hong Kong aboard the “Canton” were M.R. Brooks (surely our Minnie) born 21 Aug 1921, E.H. Brooks born 22 Dec 1951 and M.M. Brooks, born 9 Sep 1954. No doubt these are young sons Edward and Martin. They indicated that they all would be residing in the UK permanently.

Where was Edward? Probably getting set to retire while Minnie went ahead to prepare the nest.

28 years later, in 1983 Edward is mentioned in his elder brother Alfred’s will as living at Melrose Cottage, 35 Duchess Street, Stanley, Perthshire, Scotland.