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Ursula Graham Bower

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Scientist

The Resume

    (May 15, 1914-November 12, 1988)
    Born in England, United Kingdom
    Anthropologist
    Performed pioneering studies of the natives of Nagaland in India
    Organized and led the 'Bower Force' of Naga guerillas to fight the Japanese armies occupying Burma during World War II
    Nicknamed 'Queen of the Nagas'

Why she might be annoying:

    She was unable to attend Oxford due to a family shortage of funds after her parents' divorce.
    She said about her acceptance by the Naga, 'I wasn't exactly a lady, in both senses, so I was allowed in.'
    She noted about her command of the Bower Force, 'I was always afraid that they'd find an excuse to fire me They said that sooner or later they'd send a British officer to replace me.' (They never did.)

Why she might not be annoying:

    She took over a thousand photos documenting the lives of the Nagas.
    She wore out two Sten guns in action during World War II.
    She organized a network of trails to evacuate refugees, escaped POWs, and downed pilots from Burma to India.
    Her force was so effective that the Japanese put a bounty on her head.
    She met her future husband, ornithologist and commando Tim Betts, when her Nagas linked up with his guerillas force while it was trapped behind enemy lines.
    She and Betts married in a traditional Naga ceremony followed by a conventional British one.
    She received the Lawrence Memorial Medal for her anthropological work (1944) and was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her military leadership (1945).

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 50 Votes: 44.00% Annoying