Shenton Thomas

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Sir Shenton Thomas

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCMG|OBE|KStJ}}

| image = Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas.png

| imagesize =

| smallimage =

| caption =

| order = Governor of the Straits Settlements

| office =

| term_start1 = 12 September 1945

| term_end1 = 31 March 1946

| lieutenant1 =

| predecessor1 = Vacant

| successor1 = Position abolished

| term_start2 = 9 November 1934

| term_end2 = 15 February 1942{{efn|name=fn1|The fall of Singapore and subsequently the Japanese occupation.}}

| lieutenant2 =

| predecessor2 = Sir Cecil Clementi

| successor2 = Vacant

| order3 = Governor of the Gold Coast

| term_start3 = 30 November 1932

| term_end3 = 13 May 1934

| monarch3 = George V

| lieutenant3 =

| predecessor3 = Geoffry Northcote (acting)

| successor3 = Geoffry Northcote (acting)

| office4 = Governor of Nyasaland

| term_start4 = 7 November 1929

| term_end4 = 22 November 1932

| lieutenant4 =

| predecessor4 = Sir Hubert Winthrop Young

| successor4 = Wilfred Bennett Davidson-Houston

| birth_name = Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas

| birth_date = {{birth date|1879|10|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Southwark, London, United Kingdom

| death_date = {{death date and age|1962|01|15|1879|10|10|df=y}}

| death_place = Kensington, London, United Kingdom

| nationality = British

| spouse = {{marriage|Lucy Marguerite (Daisy) Montgomery|11 April 1912}}

| relations =

| children = Mary Bridget Thomas (daughter)

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Colonial administrator

| profession =

| religion =

| signature =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas {{postnominals|country=GBR|sep=,|size=100%|GCMG|OBE|KStJ}} (10 October 1879 – 15 January 1962) was a British colonial administrator, best remembered as the Governor of the Straits Settlements at the time of the Japanese invasion during the Second World War.

Born in England, Thomas spent the majority of his early career in the Colonial Service in Africa, rising to become Governor of Nyasaland and of the Gold Coast. He was appointed to the Straits Settlements in 1934, serving as Governor until 1942, when he became a Japanese prisoner-of-war after the fall of Singapore. He served again as Governor of the Straits Settlements after the war, from 1945 until 1946, when the territory was broken up.'Sir Shenton Thomas', obituary, The Times, 17 January 1962, p. 14

Early life

Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas was born on 10 October 1879, in Southwark, London to The Rev Thomas William Thomas and his wife Charlotte Susanna ({{née}} Whitelegge) Thomas.1881 UK Census: Aged 1 of St John Villas, Park Lane, Heigham, Norfolk - RG11/1951 f.9 p.11 - Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas born Southwark1901 UK Census: Aged 21 of The Vicarage, St Barnabas Road, Cambridge - RG13/1530 f.32 p.14 - Thomas Shenton W. Thomas born LondonGRO Register of Marriages: JUN 1912 1a 348 KENSINGTON - Thomas S. W. Thomas = Lucy M. Montgomery

He was educated at St. John's School, Leatherhead1891 UK Census: Pupil, aged 10, of St John's School, Leatherhead Surrey - RG12/549 f.98 p.8 - Thomas Shenton Thomas born St Bride's London and Queens' College, Cambridge.{{acad|id=THMS898TS|name=Thomas, Thomas Shenton Whitelegge}} Thomas taught at Aysgarth School in Yorkshire prior to entering the Colonial Service.

Africa

In 1909, Thomas was appointed as Assistant District Commissioner, East Africa Protectorate (Nairobi, Kenya).{{cite web|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19340615.2.50|title=New Governor a Keen Sportsman|work=The Straits Times|date=15 June 1934|page=11}}{{cite web|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_557_2005-01-09.html?s=shenton%20thomas|title=Shenton Thomas|work=National Library Board, Singapore|date=5 August 2014}} In 1919, he was appointed Assistant Chief Secretary, Uganda and in 1920 as Chairman of the Uganda Development Commission.

In 1921, he was appointed Principal Assistant Secretary, Nigeria and in 1923, was appointed Deputy Chief Secretary, Nigeria. In 1927, he was appointed Colonial Secretary, Gold Coast Colony (Ghana) before he was appointed Governor of Nyasaland in 1929. In 1932 he was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Gold Coast Colony (Ghana).

Malaya

In 1934, he was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the Federated Malay States.

Singapore

Thomas was a prisoner-of-war (POW) during the Japanese occupation of Singapore (15 February 1942 – 15 August 1945) having decided to stay in Singapore during the war. He was imprisoned in Cell 24 of Changi Prison along with missionary Ernest Tipson.

After the war, Thomas remained as the 11th British High Commissioner in Malaya (9 November 1934 – 1 April 1946), until the Malayan Union was established and succeeded the British administration in the Straits Settlements (except for Singapore, which was created as a distinct crown colony), Federated Malay States and Unfederated Malay States, where the post of Governor-General of the Malayan Union was created. Shenton Way, a road in Singapore, was named after him.

Personal life

His brother was Hugh Whitelegge Thomas (1887-1960), a colonial commissioner and Cambridge cricketer.'Mr H.W.Thomas', obituary, Sutton & Epsom Advertiser, 11 February 1960, p. 7 He married Lucy Marguerite (Daisy) Montgomery (1884-1978) daughter of James Montgomery{{cite web|title=Lucy Marguerite (née Montgomery), Lady Thomas|url=http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp85736/lucy-marguerite-nee-montgomery-lady-thomas|publisher=National Portrait Gallery}} on 11 April 1912 at St Jude's Church, Kensington, London.

Thomas died on 15 January 1962, at his home in London. He was 82.

Legacy

Thomas is widely associated in his role as governor with the loss of Singapore and his civilian administration's apparent failures to properly assess the growing Japanese threat and make appropriate defences.{{cite book|author=Ronald McCrum|title=The Men Who Lost Singapore, 1938-1942|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k6rWDgAAQBAJ|date=28 February 2017|publisher=NUS Press|isbn=978-981-4722-39-1}} Singapore's capture by the Japanese, in conjunction with other events at the time such as the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, severely undermined British prestige and contributed to the eventual end of colonialism in the region.

During the 1950s, Shenton Way, a road in Singapore's central business district, was named after him as recognition of his decision to remain and become a prisoner of war (POW) at Changi Prison when the Japanese occupied Singapore.{{cite web |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_726_2005-01-25.html |title=Shenton Way |work=Singapore Infopedia |publisher=National Library Board }}

Gallery

File:St Jude's Kensington 18.JPG|St Jude's Church, Kensington, London, where Thomas married in 1912

File:Queens' College Cambridge Football Team 1900-1901.jpg|Queens' College, Cambridge football team 1900-1901, including Sir Shenton Thomas (second from right, middle row), Charles Tate Regan and Samuel Day.

Honours

50px Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1919){{London Gazette|issue=31422|pages=8088–8093|date=27 June 1919}}
50px Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) (1929){{London Gazette|issue=33472|date=26 February 1929|page=1439|supp=y}}
50px Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) – Sir (1930){{London Gazette|issue=33675|date=30 December 1930|page=5|supp=y}}
50px King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935){{cite news|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitsbudget19350530-1.2.91|title=KING'S JUBILEE MEDAL AWARDS IN MALAYA|work=Straits Budget|date=30 May 1935|pages=16}}
50px Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) – Sir (1937){{London Gazette|issue=34365|date=29 January 1937|page=692|supp=y}}
50px King George VI Coronation Medal (1937){{cite news|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/morningtribune19370526-1.2.94|title=CORONATION MEDALS FOR MALAYA|work=Morning Tribune|date=26 May 1937|pages=23}}
50px Knight of Grace of the Order of Saint John (KStJ) (1938){{London Gazette|issue=34525|date=24 June 1938|page=4070}}