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
Jersey holds its first election by secret ballot
- In 1891 Jersey held its first. Centenier election in which elector’s votes were private. The law introducing secret ballots was passed ten months earlier
- Read more…
The States receives bad news about Queen’s Valley reservoir plan
- The company contracted to build the Queen's Valley reservoir was unable to complete the work, forcing the States to look elsewhere.
- Read more…
Lifeboat rescues crew after mine strike
- Jersey lifeboat rescued 11 crew members after their cargo ship ran aground and hit a mine left over from the Second World War.
- Read more…
Jersey and Guernsey papers agree to merge
- The saga of the Guernsey Press and Jersey Evening Post had been running for over nine years by the time the two agreed to merge in 1998.
- Read more…
