The Brian Kieran Collection

Brian Kieran

Brian Kieran, an international tax lawyer, is a barrister of Gray's Inn, Hong Kong, and an attorney at law of the Supreme Court of Jamaica. He obtained his LL.B (Hons) from King's College and his Dip Air and Space Law from University College, both part of the University of London. His MA and Ph.D. were obtained through the auspices of the Anglo Zulu War Society through distance learning.

Brian's working life has taken him to the UK, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, and South Africa, together with travelling the world advising companies and individuals. He originally started his career as a lawyer in the Estate Duty office dealing with double taxation issues, conflict of laws and subsequently dealt with tax avoidance cases before the Special Commissioners and tax prosecutions in the criminal courts. He was legal advisor to the Minister of Finance of Jamaica from 1972 to 1975 under an overseas aid scheme, a legal advisor on tax matters to Morgan Grenfell from 1975 to 1985 and managing director of Morgan Grenfell (Cayman) Ltd from 1985 to 1986. He was recruited by HSBC to assist in resolving the problems that could arise if there were adverse consequences of the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, serving as chairman and C.E.O. of Hong Kong Bank International Trustee Ltd from 1987 to 1993, when HSBC took over the Midland Bank; he then established Kieran Associates Ltd in Hong Kong, with a branch in Beijing and a trust company in Labuan.

His abiding personal interest from an early age has been the men behind the medals, initially encouraged by his parents, which has led to his writing a number of books since 1990, visiting various British Empire and Colonial archives in pursuit of his research. He retired in 1999 and immediately visited Corunna, Sir John Moore being one of his heroes. Moore developed light infantry tactics after observing the West India regiments while commanding them in St. Vincent and other Caribbean islands. It was therefore natural that Brian would write a book relevant to the West India regiments when he discovered there had been a detachment of 2/West India Regiment in the Cayman Islands from 1834 to 1835 at the time of the freedom of the slaves - The Lawless Caymanas - and thereafter two books relating to the Boer War in South Africa - O'OKiep, the Defence and Relief of O'Okiep, Cape Colony, 4 April to 4 May 1902 and Success of a General. Corunna 1809 and The Military Heritage of Streets of Napier, New Zealand have been published in 2010.

Brian has been a member of the OMRS since 1968 and was president of the Hong Kong branch for a number of years, being made a life member in 2007. He was granted the freedom of the city of London in 1980 and was awarded a miniature medal of the Polish Virtute Militari, 5th class, in 1991. Inspiration might have been provided on occasions by wine from his cellar, formerly at Benfleet Hall, Cobham, Surrey, and now some of the choice bottles are maturing to be enjoyed in Napier. His awards relating to Dunkirk are not included this sale, pending publication of his latest title, Dunkirk 7 940-the Miracle and Deliverance Revisited, next year.