Amateur
Entomologists'
Society

Sir Eric Ansorge CSI CIE

1887 - 1977

Sir Eric Ansorge was born in 1887 and at the age of 23 entered the Indian Civil Service, being posted to Bengal in 1911.

He was a Colonial Administrator in the states of Orissa and Bihar, near Calcutta.

During the 1939-1945 war he was the war adviser to the Governor of Orissa.

In recognition of his long and distinguished service in India he was made Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire and Companion of the Order of the Star of India.

He retired from the Indian Civil Service in 1946 and was knighted in recognition of his valuable work over a period of 35 years.

On returning to England from service abroad, Sir Eric and Lady Ansorge lived at Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire.

Sir Eric wrote a book entitled 'Silk in India' and one on the 'Macrolepidoptera of Buckinghamshire' published by the Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society, in 1969.

Sir Eric was a member of the AES and a regular contributor, having several articles published in the Society's Bulletins in the 1960s and early 1970s. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. As well as his interest in lepidoptera he was also keen on coleoptera and philately.

When Sir Eric died in 1977, he left a bequest to the AES. It was this bequest that initiated the Ansorge award, for young entomologists.