Roland Arthur Charles North, CMG (28 January 1889 – 18 June 1961) was an English colonial administrator. He was the Secretary for Chinese Affairs in the Hong Kong colonial government. He was interned at Stanley Camp during the

Japanese occupation of Hong Kong The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began when the governor of Hong Kong, Mark Aitchison Young, surrendered the British Crown colony of British Hong Kong, Hong Kong to the Empire of Japan on 25 December 1941. His surrender occurred after Batt ...

. North was born at Beggearnhuish House,

Nettlecombe, Somerset Nettlecombe is a civil parish in the English county of Somerset. The parish covers a rural area below the Brendon Hills, comprising the small hamlets of Beggearn Huish, Torre, Woodford, and Yarde, together with isolated individual farms and ho ...

, England on 28 January 1889 to artist

John William North John William North (London 1 January 1842 – 20 December 1924 Stamborough, Somerset) was a British landscape painter and illustrator, a prominent member of the Idyllists. Biography North was born in Walham Green in London, England. His f ...

. He joined the civil service in 1912 and became Secretary for Chinese Affairs in Hong Kong in 1936 and served until the

fall of Hong Kong The Battle of Hong Kong (8–25 December 1941), also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War in World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the ...

. He had also acted as

Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong The chief secretary for administration is the second-highest government official in Hong Kong, right after the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. When the chief executive is on leave, the chief secretary for administration will act on their behalf. ...

and Officer Administering the Government in 1936. North was interned at the Stanley Camp throughout the occupation. During the occupation, he asked the leading figures in the Chinese community, including

Shouson Chow Sir Shouson Chow (; 1861–1959), also known as Chow Cheong-Ling (), was a Hong Kong businessman and politician. He had been a Qing dynasty official and prominent in the Government of Hong Kong. Family Chow is said to have been born in Wong ...

and Robert Kotewall to collaborate with the Japanese, "to take upon themselves what should have been my duty in working with the Japanese." The acceptance of these figures after the war caused public outrage. North was repatriated to England in October 1945. He arrived in Southampton on 9 November on the Royal Mail Lines ship ''Highland Monarch''. He was subsequently awarded

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...

in 1946. In 1947, from Southampton on P&O's '' Strathmore'' on 4 March 1947 North moved to Australia and lived in

Katoomba Katoomba is the main town and council seat of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia, and is the administrative centre of Blue Mountains City Council. Situated on the Great Western Highway and the Great Western Railway, Kato ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

until he died in 1961, aged 72. After his death, his widow Leo (died 1976) and daughter, Philippa, returned to live in Somerset. Philippa died in 2005.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:North, Roland Arthur Charles 1889 births 1961 deaths Government officials of Hong Kong Members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong Australian people of English descent Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George World War II civilian prisoners held by Japan British expatriates in British Hong Kong