Hugh Fraser (colonial administrator) explained

Hugh Fraser
Order:Acting Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements
Term Start:27 January 1942
Term End:15 February 1942
Predecessor:Stanley Wilson Jones
Successor:Post abolished
Governor:Sir Shenton Thomas
Order1:Federal Secretary of the Federated Malay States (FMS)
Monarch1:George VI
1Blankname1:High Commissioner of FMS
1Namedata1:Sir Shenton Thomas
Term Start1:1939
Term End1:January 1942
Predecessor1:Christopher Dominic Ahearne
Successor1:Post abolished
Birth Date:1891
Profession:Colonial Administrator

Hugh Fraser (1891–1944), was a British colonial administrator. He was the last acting Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements before the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 to the Japanese Occupation and was interned in Changi Prison. He subsequently died in Outram Road Prison in 1944.

Education

Fraser was educated in Wellington College and Exeter College, Oxford.[1]

Career

In 1917, Fraser was the Third Assistant Secretary at Federal Secretariat and Private Secretary to Chief Secretary of Federated Malay States (FMS).[1] After several terms of office as District Officer,[2] he went on to Kedah as Acting Assistant Adviser and Acting Legal Adviser.[1]

In June 1927, Fraser was the Assistant Treasurer FMS and State Treasurer (Selangor).[1] [3] He was later appointed to the Malayan Establishment Office and 1936 as Secretary to High Commissioner of Malaya.[1] [4] [5]

In 1937, Fraser was the Acting Under-Secretary of FMS and April 1937 Acting Federal Secretary FMS when Mr Christopher Dominic Ahearne was away. In December 1937, Fraser was appointed as Under-Secretary of FMS.[1]

On 27 January 1942, Fraser took over as Acting Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements from Sir S W Jones before the fall of Singapore to the Japanese Occupation[6] and was subsequently interned.

Interned and death

See also: Operation Jaywick and Double Tenth incident. Fraser was interned at Changi Prison during Japanese Occupation of Singapore. On 10 October 1943, after the Operation Jaywick incident, he was arrested along with others when the kempeitai raided the internment camp. He died as a detainee of kempeitai at Outram Road Prison in 1944.[7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. News: Mr. Hugh Fraser As Federal Secretary. Malaya Tribune. 20 September 1939. 3.
  2. News: Untitled. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 28 March 1927. 8.
  3. News: Social and Personal. The Straits Times. 7 June 1929. 10.
  4. News: Mr. Hugh Fraser. The Straits Times. 9 January 1937. 12.
  5. News: Federal Secretary Leaves. Malaya Tribune. 8 May 1939. 5.
  6. News: Mr. S. W. Jones. The Straits Times. 28 January 1942. 4.
  7. News: How Capitulation was arranged. The Straits Times. 15 February 1946. 2.
  8. News: A British judge talks to a Japanese. The Straits Times. 4 August 1947. 4.