Hugh Fraser (colonial administrator)

Hugh Fraser (1891–1944),[1] was a British colonial administrator. He was the last acting Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements before the fall of Singapore in 15 February 1942 to the Japanese Occupation and was interned in Changi Prison. He subsequently died in Outram Road Prison in 1944.

Hugh Fraser
Acting Colonial Secretary of Straits Settlements
In office 27 January 1942 – 15 February 1942
Monarch	George VI
Governor	Sir Shenton Thomas
Preceded by	Stanley Wilson Jones
Succeeded by	Post abolished
Federal Secretary of the Federated Malay States (FMS)
In office 1939 – January 1942
Monarch	George VI
High Commissioner of FMS	Sir Shenton Thomas
Preceded by	Christopher Dominic Ahearne
Succeeded by	Post abolished
Personal details
Born	1891
Died	1944 (aged 52–53)
Profession	Colonial Administrator

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

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]

References

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