15th December 1994
Jersey-born Commissioner of Singapore dies
Arthur de la Mare was born in St John and educated at Victoria College and Cambridge. After joining the Foreign Service in 1936 he served in both the US and Far East. He was acting vice consul in Seoul before turning 30, ambassador to Afghanistan by the age of 49, then High Commissioner of Singapore and, later, Thailand, between 1968 and 1973.
The posting to Singapore was singularly important as, in that role, he oversaw the country gaining independence from Britain, and the handing over of Britain’s bases in the territory to local forces.
Upon retiring to Jersey in 1991, de la Mere, who was raised speaking Jèrriais, wrote a monthly column in the language for the Jersey Evening Post. He died in 1994.
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Other events that occured in December
Elizabeth Castle is bombed into submission
- Forces loyal to King Charles I held out for two months in Elizabeth Castle during the English Civil War, despite heavy bombardment.
- Read more…
Passenger plane springs a leak on flight to Jersey
- A passenger flight between Manchester and Jersey had to decrease altitude when a leak was detected in the fuselage.
- Read more…
Operation Hardtack targets the Channel Islands
- Needing to find out what was happening in the .Channel Islands during the Occupation, the British government launched Operation Hardtack.
- Read more…
Maurice Gould is deported to Europe
- Maurice Gould and two friends tried to escape from Jersey during the Occupation. However, they were caught and deported to Europe.
- Read more…
