# Stan Awbery

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**Stanley Stephen Awbery** (19 July 1888 – 7 May 1969) was a British trade unionist and [Labour Party](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)) politician who served as the [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) (MP) for [Bristol Central](/source/Bristol_Central_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) from 1945 to 1964.[1][2]

Awbery was born in [Swansea](/source/Swansea), and began work at a copperworks aged 13.[2] In 1904 he began his [trade union](/source/Trade_union) activities when he joined the [Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers' Union](/source/Dock,_Wharf,_Riverside_and_General_Labourers'_Union). He became the secretary of the Fuel Workers' Branch in 1913, and national auditor of the union in 1919. He became a permanent official with the union in 1920 and in 1926 district secretary at [Barry Docks](/source/Barry_Docks).[2]

He was a member of the Welsh Committee of the [Independent Labour Party](/source/Independent_Labour_Party), becoming chairman in 1929. He was elected to [Barry](/source/Barry,_Vale_of_Glamorgan) Town Council and was mayor of Barry in 1941.[2] He stood unsuccessfully as Labour Party candidate for the [Clitheroe](/source/Clitheroe_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) constituency at the [1931](/source/1931_United_Kingdom_general_election) and [1935](/source/1935_United_Kingdom_general_election) general elections. He was selected to contest [Bristol Central](/source/Bristol_Central_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in 1937, although the anticipated general election was postponed due to the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II).[2] He finally entered parliament at the [1945 general election](/source/1945_United_Kingdom_general_election) and remained [Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) for Bristol Central until his retirement in [1964](/source/1964_United_Kingdom_general_election).[2]

On the 7 May 1952 Awbery played a minor role in the [British Malayan headhunting scandal](/source/British_Malayan_headhunting_scandal). In the House of Commons, Awbery asked [Oliver Lyttelton](/source/Oliver_Lyttelton,_1st_Viscount_Chandos) for information on photographs published by the [*Daily Worker*](/source/Morning_Star_(British_newspaper)) (now *Morning Star*) depicting British soldiers during the [Malayan Emergency](/source/Malayan_Emergency) posing with decapitated human heads. Lyttelton responded to Awbery by confirming that the photographs were indeed genuine, and that previous government denials of their authenticity were wrong.[3]

Awbrey was a keen local historian, and published a number of books on the subject.[2]

## References

- Craig, F. W. S. (1983 [1969]). *British parliamentary election results 1918-1949*. 3rd ed. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

1. Michael Stenton (1976). [*Who's who of British Members of Parliament: A Biographical Dictionary of the House of Commons Based on Annual Volumes of Dod's Parliamentary Companion and Other Sources*](https://books.google.com/books?id=r73XAAAAMAAJ). Harvester Press. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-85527-335-4.

1. ["Stanley Stephen Awbery Collection"](http://www.archiveswales.org.uk/anw/get_collection.php?inst_id=33&coll_id=1996&expand=). Glamorgan Archives. Retrieved 29 October 2011.

1. Poole, Dan (2023). *Head Hunters in the Malayan Emergency: The Atrocity and Cover-Up*. Pen and Sword Military. p. 15. ISBN 978-1399057417.

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