Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Edgar Ord Laird (16 November 1915 – 1992), sometimes referred to as Awang E.O. Laird, was a diplomat and formerly the British High Commissioner to Brunei.

Early life

Edgar Laird was born in Northumberland on 16 November 1915, and educated at

Rossall School Rossall School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for 0–18 year olds, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College ...

from 1924 to 1934 and Emmanuel College from 1935 to 1938. He earned his Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1938. After graduation he became a

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

in the Colonial Survey Service and worked in the Uganda Protectorate in February 1939. During World War II, he was commissioned into East African Engineers in October 1939, and later transferred to the British Army's

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

. Carried out duties in East Africa, Middle East, the United Kingdom and

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

. Later became the Director of Studies at the Civil Affairs Staff Centre in

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

, August 1944, relieved from duty with the rank of Major in March 1946, appointed to Malayan Civil Service in January 1947.

Diplomatic career

From 1953 to 1955, Laird was appointed as the Secretary of Government and the Secretary for External Defence in the

Federation of Malaya The Federation of Malaya ( ms, Persekutuan Tanah Melayu; Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of what previously had been British Malaya comprising eleven states (nine Malay states and two of the British Empire, British Straits Settlements, P ...

in 1956. He would be appointed as the Secretary to the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Commission from August 1956 to February 1957, Deputy Secretary to the

Prime Minister's Department A cabinet department or prime minister's department is a department or other government agency that directly supports the work of the government's central executive office, usually the cabinet and/or prime minister, rather than specific ministe ...

in September 1957, only to retire from Overseas Civil Service in January 1958. On 9 December 1963, Laird succeeded Angus McKay Mackintosh as the British High Commissioner to Brunei. Prior to Prince Hassanal Bolkiah's departure to the United Kingdom for further studies, him and other dignitaries were present to give their best wishes to him at Berakas Airport on 9 July 1964. In conjunction to the Queen's birthday on 13 June, he presented

Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

Metali bin Osman with the Colonial Police Medal in

Brunei Town Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: بندر سري بڬاوان; ) is the capital city of Brunei. It is officially a Municipalities of Brunei, municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It i ...

. At the Berakas Airport on 1 March 1965, he welcomed Prince Philip during his visit to Brunei from Sibu. He would later be assigned as the new Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, therefore replaced by Fernley Douglas Webber on 1 August 1965.

Death

Edgar Laird died in 1992.

Honours

Edgar Laird was given the honorary title of ''Yang Terutama'' (His Excellency) by

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III Sultan Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien ( Jawi: ; 23 September 1914 – 7 September 1986) was the 28th Sultan of Brunei, reigning from 4 June 1950 until his abdication from the throne on 5 October 1967. He was also Brunei's fir ...

. *

Order_of_the_British_Empire_(Civil)_Ribbon

Order of the British Empire Member (MBE) * UK Order St-Michael St-George ribbon

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

Companion (CMG)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laird, Edgar Ord 1915 births 1992 deaths Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge People educated at Rossall School Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Order of the British Empire High Commissioners of the United Kingdom to Brunei Malayan Civil Service officers