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Sir Shenton Thomas

Shenton Whitelegge Thomas, Sir (b. 10 October 1879 - d. 15 January 1962, London). Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the Federated Malay States from November 1934 to February 1942. He is associated with the fall of the British against the Japanese invaders to the Far East.

Early life
Sir Shenton Thomas was the eldest son of Reverend Thomas William Thomas, Rector of Newton-in-the Isle, Cambridgshire. He had four brothers and one sister. After attending preparatory school at Syderston, near Wicken Fen in Norfolk, he attended the public school at St John's Leatherhead in 1890. In 1898, he was awarded a scholarship to Queen's College, Cambridge and graduated with second class honours in 1901. From 1901 to 1908, Shenton Thomas was a School Master at Aysgarth Preparatory School in the Yorkshire Dales. He joined the Colonial Service in 1909.

World War II
After several appointments that saw Thomas rising the military ranks, he finally was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlement and High Commissioner of the Malay States. Landing in Penang on 9 November 1934, he travelled by special train to Singapore to assume his office.

While on home leave, Sir Shenton Thomas met the War Cabinet presenting his case of a more committed defence of Malaya to ward off any land invasion. The War Cabinet's decision to send troop reinforcements for the defence of Malaya was overturned by the prime minister, Winston Churchill. Churchill had strongly believed in the ability of the British Fleet. On 8 December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya from the north via land rather than sea.

When Singapore fell to the Japanese, on 15 February 1942, both Sir Shenton Thomas and his wife were taken captive. They became prisoners-of-war (POWs) in Changi Prison. On 20 August 1942, Sir Shenton Thomas and other senior officers were moved to a POW Camp at Karenko, Farmosa. In December 1943, he was moved again to another camp at Taihoku, on the Northeast corner of Farmosa. From Taihoku, he was transferred to Hsian camp in Manchuria via Korea. He stayed there until the Japanese surrendered. Upon his release, he was flown to Chungking and then to Calcutta. He returned to London in September 1945.

Sir Shenton Thomas officially retired as Governor in 1946 and died peacefully at home on 5 January 1962 at the age of 82. Shenton Way is named after him. It should be noted that he officially opened the Supreme Court in 1939.

Timeline
1901 - 1908 : Schoolmaster at Aysgarth Preparatory School, Yorkshire Dales.
1909 : Joined Colonial Service and was posted to Nairobi as Assistant to District Commissioner
11 Apr 1912 : Married Daisy, in St Jude's Church, Kensington.
1926 : Appointed Colonial Secretary at Accra, Africa and later as Acting Governor of Gold Coast.
1929 : Governor of Nyasaland, Africa. Also honoured as Commander of St. Michael and St. George (CMG)
1930 : Knighted as Commander of St Michael and St George (KCMG)
1932 : Returned to Gold Coast and appointed Governor
1934 : Appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the Malay States
15 Feb 1938 : Officially opened the Singapore Naval Base
Feb 1942 - 45: Prisoner of war at Changi Prison in Singapore, Karenko and Taihoku Camps in Formosa and Hsian Camp in Manchuria
1946 : Retired as Governor
1962 : Died peacefully at home

Family
Wife: Lucy Marguerite Montgomery, known as Daisy. He had met her whilst during his posting at Nairobi.
Daughter: Bridget, (b.1914, Nairobi - )



Author
Wong Heng & Koh Lay Tin


References
Montgomery, B. (1984). Shenton of Singapore: Governor and prisoner of war. London: Leo Cooper: Sicker & Warburg.
(Call no.: RCLOS 941.0840924 SHE.M)

Singapore files reveal bitter power struggle. (1993, January 26). Independent, 6.

Incompetence that led to fall of Singapore. (1993, January 11). Independent, 3.

Lim. K. T. (1999). Sir Shenton Thomas. Retrieved October 23, 2003, from www.knowledgenet.com.sg/singapore/SG/BI/BITSH001.asp?next=0

Shenton, Sir Whitelegge Thomas. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2001, from  www.recordsingapore.com/who_was_who/stu/shentonthomas.htm 



The information in this article is valid as at 2002 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject.  Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Personalities>>Biographies>>Colonial Administrators
Colonial administrators--Singapore
World War, 1939-1945--Singapore
History>>Asia>>Southeast Asia>>Singapore
Law and government>>Political process>>Leadership

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