General papers relating to World War II, 1926-1948, c.1970

Component identifier:

Subseries 8-1

Content Summary:

Including correspondence, postcards, telegrams, notes, manuscript and typescripts drafts of broadcast scripts and news summaries, reports, minutes, memoranda, photographic material, newsletters, newspapers, press releases, maps, invitations, ration cards and other ephemera. This material documents events leading up to World War II, the impact of the war on daily life in Macau and Macau's administration, activities of allied secret service agents in Macau, the evacuation of refugees to Macau and Braga's activities during this period as a prominent member of Macau's Portuguese and English-speaking communities.

As well as writing news reports for Reuters and the Associated Press during this period, Braga gave a series of weekly radio broadcasts from June 1941 to December 1942 via the Macao Radio Club's station CR-8-AA. Scripts of these broadcasts cover such topics as current events, book reviews and matters of historical interest.

Correspondence relates to arrangements for various Braga family members to evacuate to Macau, and reveals the hardships of life in Hong Kong's Stanley Internment Camp, where Braga's sister Maude and her husband Eric Franks were interned. Other correspondence documents Braga's involvement with various groups concerned with the plight of refugees in Macau, including the activities of the Tsin Shan Refugee Relief Association (later the Macao Refugee Relief Committee).

Later papers relate to the post-war period in Macau and Hong Kong, including several files relating to Braga's membership of a committee led by the British Consul John Pownell Reeves, which was established in 1944 with the aim of developing a detailed plan for the post-war rehabilitation of Hong Kong. Looking at aspects of employment, education, rations and the provision of basic services, the group prepared a report 'A cursory study of a proposed scheme whereby it is thought assistance might be rendered to the British Authorities in the Rehabilitation of Hong Kong', however the group's plan was not implemented.

Among the correspondents are A. el Arculli, Pedro Correia de Barros, Cesar Pereira Batista, A.M. Braga, Carol Braga, James Braga, J.P. Braga, Noel Braga, Olive Braga, L.R. Brown, Leo d'Almada e Castro, S.N. Chau, E. Cheung, Albert Cooney, J.T. Cotton, Maude Franks, M.H. Gutterres, Mário Horácio Gracias, Sir Robert Ho Tung, J.M. Hutcheson, K.I. Joelsohn, Bessie Lum, Vaughn F. Meisling, Francisco Monteiro, H. O'Brien, Albano Rodrigues de Oliveira, W. O'Neill, John Pownall Reeves, Shozo Saito, En Sai Tai, H.A. Wittenbach and Harry Wong.

Further radio scripts and articles written by Braga and others regarding life in Macau during World War II are found in Subseries 5.2. Notes on significant events in the Far East during World War II are included in Braga's historical chronologies in Subseries 7.4. Other historic postcards are located in Series 18, and further family correspondence is found in Series 2.

[29 files]

Immediate source of acquisition:

The bulk of the Braga Collection (including manuscripts, pictures, maps, newspapers, serials, periodicals, monographs and ephemera) was purchased from J.M. Braga in 1966. The component held in the Manuscript Collection at MS 4300 appears to have been formally accessioned as the J.M. Braga Papers in 1975. Several small additions have been made since the original instalment of papers was received. Most of these additions were transfers to the Manuscripts Collection from other collection areas, including a file of newspaper cuttings in May 1975, a set of microfilm reels in 1984, a file of manuscript material in 1985, lists of the Braga Collection in 1994, and two files of assorted printed material and other papers in 2009. As well, several small additions have been made by members of the Braga family. In 1992, various Braga family members donated a copy of the eulogy and order of service for Augusta Braga's memorial service, and in 2002 Angela Braga donated photographs of medals and decorations awarded to J.P. Braga, together with photocopies of early writings of J.M. Braga and eulogies for J.M. Braga and his grandson Michael Braga.

Subjects:

History

Names:

Braga, J.M. (José Maria)

Contents

Access and use