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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 217

The Mention in Despatches Certificate awarded to Brigadier Sir P. A. B. Mckerron, for services in the Dutch East Indies

Mention in Despatches Certificate in the name of 'Brigadier P. A. B. McKerron, C.M.G.' and dated 26 June 1947, good very fine

Patrick Alexander Bruce McKerron was born on 6 May 1896 and was educated at Fettes College and Aberdeen University. During the First World War, McKerron served with the 4th Battalion, Gordon Highlanders in France, where he was wounded in 1917. He transferred to the Indian Army serving with the 20th Punjab Regiment in the Punjab and on the North West Frontier.

McKerron joined the Malayan Civil Service in 1920 as Assistant Superintendent in the Monopolies Department (Singapore). etwBeen 1922 and 1924, he was a District Officer in Jasin, Malacca. In January 1925, he was appointed as District Officer (Nithong Tebal), Assistant District Judge (Singapore and Penang) and Police Magistrate (Penang). 1928, he was the British Resident to Brunei. In 1932, he was the Secretary of F.M.S. Retrenchment Committee and in the following year, he appointed Superintendent of Taiping Convict Establishment. Between 1934-36, he was the Assistant Adviser (Kedah and Trengganu) and Superintendent of Prison of Kedah. In 1938, he was the Under Secretary in Straits Settlement and First Assistant Secretary.

In February 1939, McKerron was in charge of the Manpower Bureau for voluntary service for Malaya. This was an appeal for British Europeans to enrol in the volunteer force in the event of emergency (Second World War). The objective of the registration is avoid the tragic mistakes of the First World War when thousands of men enlisted and went to the front who would have been of far greater value to the country in their civil posts. By mid-April, about 2500 British Europeans enrolled for the voluntary service. McKerron was later appointed as Press Censor in September 1939.

In 1940, McKerron was appointed as member of the Advisory Committee on the formation and organisation of Defence Corps in Singapore. This was partly due to McKerron was an army officer prior to his civil career.

During the period of British Military Administration in Malaya in 1945-46, McKerron was the Deputy Chief Civil Affairs Officer in Singapore, assisting Major-General Sir Ralph Hone (Chief Civil Affair Officer of Malaya).

After the Military Administration ended on 31 March 1946, McKerron was sworn-in as the 1st Colonial Secretary of Singapore on the following day. During his tenure as Colonial Secretary, McKerron was sworn-in as Officer Administrating the Government when Sir Franklin Gimson (Governor of Singapore) was away in England for a period of 5 months in 1947. He retired on 29 April 1950 as Colonial Secretary and handed over to J D M Smith, whom became the Acting Colonial Secretary. Wilfred Lawson Blythe was later sworn-in as the 2nd Colonial Secretary of Singapore on 30 June. He died on 20 March 1964.


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Sold for
£160

Starting price
£40