|
Major Ernest Belcher was the Assistant general manager of the British Empire Exhibition which was held at Wembley in 1924 and 1925. He was leader of the 1922 tour around the world to promote this event. Agatha Christie and her husband Archie were members of this group and Christie mentions him in her notes and biographies. A recent book ''The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery'' gives an outline of this tour and describes Major Belcher in depth.〔Agatha Christie, 2013 "The Grand Tour: Letters and photographs from the British Empire Expedition 1922". Online reference http://books.google.com.au/books?id=OEz5Z9TlWfkC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false〕 ==Early Life== Ernest Albert Belcher was born in 1871 in Stoke Newington, Middlesex. His father was Albert Belcher, a clerk in the General Post Office〔England Census of 1881〕 and his mother was Maria Crossley.〔England Census of 1871.〕 He was educated at Oxford University and gained a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in history.〔The Natal Who's Who, 1906. Online reference https://archive.org/stream/natalwhoswhoani00unkngoog#page/n22/mode/2up〕 He obtained a position as a school teacher in England for several years and then in 1902 he entered the Natal Civil Service and was assistant master at Durban High School until 1908. During this time he joined the Territorial Forces as a captain and taught the army cadets at the school.〔The Times (London), 14 July 1909; pg. 4〕 After this, he returned to England and became a teacher at Clifton College in Bristol where he met Archie Christie who was a pupil at this time. While he was a teacher here, he commanded the cadets〔CHRIST'S COLLEGE Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14471, 27 September 1912, Page 6. Online reference http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=CHP19120927.2.38〕 one of whom was Archie. In 1912 he became the headmaster of Christ College in New Zealand and remained there for the next two years until the outbreak of the war. He returned to England and joined the military. In 1915 Belcher was promoted from captain to major in the 9th Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.〔The Daily News (Perth, WA) 31 July 1915, p. 5. Online reference http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article80997744?searchTerm="e a belcher"&searchLimits=l-decade=191〕 He was later asked to organise the increased production of produce, especially potatoes for the Army.〔The Agricultural Gazette and Modern Farming, 1917, vol. 85, p. 19 and 168. Online reference http://books.google.com.au/books?id=_clFAAAAYAAJ&q=belcher+army+canteen&dq=belcher+army+canteen&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PbBpU6jmGM_28QX41oHQCA&ved=0CF0Q6AEwBw〕 In 1918 he was appointed to be Director of vegetable supplies in the Ministry of Food.〔''The Board of Trade Journal'', Volume 99, 1918, p. 240. Online reference http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Olg7AQAAMAAJ&q=belcher+%22vegetable+supplies%22&dq=belcher+%22vegetable+supplies%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=J8tpU7OlGMTy8QXHq4LwAg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAQ〕 He retained this position for several years after the war. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ernest Belcher」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|