The collection mainly consists of diaries, 1939 to 1974. Volumes 1-7 of his diaries include newspaper cuttings and photographs of notable events in which he was a participant, as well as an account of each voyage. The first of these contains an eyewitness account of the sinking of the ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE, when Purcell-Buret called at Montevideo in the HIGHLAND CHIEFTAN in 1939. There is also a scrapbook, a volume of articles and lectures, some of which are partly autobiographical, and a service record, together with some printed books and pamphlets.

Administrative / biographical background
Buret was born in London in 1879 and first went to sea aged fifteen. Between 1894 and 1899 he was an apprentice and then third mate on the steel three-masted ship PASS OF BALMAHA (1888). He qualified as master in 1907 (certificate number 034334) and for twenty-six years was engaged in that capacity on ships of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. His zeal and devotion to duty during the First World War were recognised in the award of the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in 1917. Between 1940 and 1942 he commanded the troopship ANDES (1939) on voyages to Africa, the Far East, New Zealand and America. He was commodore of the Royal Mail Lines fleet between 1940 and 1944. His troopship work was recognised when he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on his retirement from seagoing engagements in 1942. During the remaining war years he lectured for the Ministry of Information on subjects including convoys and troopships. Buret’s surname was changed to Purcell-Buret by deed poll in 1941. He died at Winchester, Hampshire, in 1974.