He was a painter and botanical illustrator and later a plant hunter with his wife for the Royal Horticultural Society.

During World War II, he returned to the Royal Navy and was eventually made lieutenant commander.

After the war, he returned to South Africa before they eventually retired to Hampton, New Brunswick, Canada, since his wife was originally Canadian born.

[5] His daughter Elizabeth Furse (13 October 1936 – 18 April 2021) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999.

He later married an Australian girl, was assigned to an aircraft carrier in Borneo, and then returned to greet his son Ralf.

[12] John R. Furse wrote a book Elephant Island: An Antarctic Expedition published on 16 October 1979, with the royalties going to the RGS.

[15] In 1925, he became a sub-lieutenant and then in 1926, he was posted to the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, which was initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet.

[14] In 1928, he was an engineer on HMS Olympus, a newly built Odin-class submarine,[15] which was commissioned into service on 14 June 1930 and then based out of China Station.

[15] He then served during World War Two between 1939 and 1945; he was a senior engineering officer on board HMS Sandhurst (a converted merchant ship) in 1939.

[15] In 1951, he was chief staff officer to the rear-admiral of HMS Condor, a Royal Naval Air Station in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland.

[19] His last post was of director general of the Aircraft Department for the Admiralty between 1958 and 1959,[14] based at HMS President.

[1] His first post-retirement expedition with his wife, Polly was to north eastern Turkey and Iran in 1960,[14][1] they found specimens of Cyclamen elegans.

[21] They drove from England in a Land Rover packed full of equipment to explore the mountain passes, that had hardly been seen before.

Including the yellow crown imperial, Fritillaria raddeana Regel (from the Kopet Dagh on the borders of Turkmenia or Iran), Iris afghanica Wendelbo (from the Salang Pass, north of Kabul), and also from the Black Sea coast, Iris lazica Albov.

They both collected more than 3,100 plant specimens,[1] including bulbs of Fritillaria uva-vulpis which were then brought into cultivation under that name.

[22][23] In 1964, they carried out a botanical expedition in conjunction again with the Royal Horticultural Society botanist Patrick Synge, to Afghanistan,[14] they got as far as the Hindu Kush and the Wakhan Corridor.

[14][1][10][26] Furse had a passion and specialist knowledge for fritillarias, and also for irises, daffodils, tulips, crocuses, colchicums, lilies and other bulbous plants.

Botanists working on the 'Flora of Turkey' and 'Flora Iranica' have also studied the dried collections and Kew holds Paul Furse's very detailed field notes, his botanical paintings,[1][27] letters and various specimens.

[10] Patrick Synge expeditions, including those to Turkey with Paul Furse and also to Nepal with Colville Barclay were documented in his 1973 book, In Search of Flowers.

[1] He was buried in Smarden, in the St Michael the Archangel Churchyard with his wife Polly of Hegg Hill House.