COMMANDER G. BRIDGMORE BROWN, M.B.E., R.D., R.N.R.

BWISC Bulletin March 1970

Members of the Circle and in particular his friends among the older generation will learn with the utmost regret of the death on December 29th, 1969, of Commander G. Bridgmore Brown.

George Bridgmore Brown was a founder member of our Circle and served it with great distinction as its Chairman (April, 1958 to June, 1965), and during a large part of this time was Chairman of the Publications Committee bringing his capable organising ability to this onerous task.

He was a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society, London, having joined it in 1947.  He had been a Vice-President of the British Philatelic Association for a number of years and chaired many of their Lectures until ill health overtook him.

Apart from his yeoman service to our Circle George Bridgmore Brown will probably be remembered best for his long and loyal association with, and service to, his local society - the Croydon Philatelic Society which he joined in 1932.  He served as President from 1945 to 1948, and was also Curator of their Forgery Collection for many years.

His stamp interests were chiefly concentrated on British West Indies, his major collection being that of Bermuda, but it may come as a surprise to some to learn he was also keenly interested in certain early issues of Greece and he once told me that his enthusiasm for these difficult issues stemmed in part from seeing the late Dr. Theodore Groom's matchless plating studies of the "crust flaws."  Commander Bridgmore Brown was always generous with his advice to other collectors and gave numerous displays to societies over a wide area.

This appreciation has not attempted to cover any part of his naval and professional careers which will doubtless be dealt by those competent to do so, suffice to add that whatever George Bridgmore Brown attempted he always displayed great enthusiasm to the task in hand.

His wife, Susan, shared her husband's interests in philately and philatelists and is almost as well known as was her husband and to her, her daughter and two sons our deep sympathies are sincerely extended.

Our President, Mr. E. Victor Toeg, represented the Circle at the funeral service.                                                                                        Rose Titford