C. E. (Charles Edward) Wurtzburg

Born in London in 1891, Charles Edward Wurtzburg served in the First World War and later wrote The History of the 2/6th (Rifle) Battalion, "The King's" (Liverpool Regiment) 1914–1919. That early work shows his gift for clear historical narrative and his interest in recording events with care.

He also built a major career in shipping, with long experience in the Far East. Contemporary accounts describe him as having been connected with shipping there for more than 30 years, and his interest in Sir Stamford Raffles began during a stay in Singapore in 1920. Wurtzburg went on collecting material on Raffles for decades, combining practical knowledge of the region with serious archival research.

That long effort resulted in Raffles of the Eastern Isles, published in 1954 after his death in 1952 and edited for publication by Clifford Witting. The book helped secure his reputation as a thoughtful historian of Britain's role in Southeast Asia, and it remains the work most closely associated with his name.