Thomas Russell, CMG,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(27 May 1920 – 5 July 2016) was a British colonial administrator. He was

Governor of the Cayman Islands The governor of the Cayman Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the Cayman Islands. The governor, a civil servant who has in modern times typically been a British subject normally ...

from 1974 to 1981. The eldest son of Colonel Thomas Russell OBE MC, Russell was educated at Gattonside School, Melrose Grammar School and Hawick High School, before attending the

University of St Andrews The University of St Andrews (, ; abbreviated as St And in post-nominals) is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, f ...

, where he graduated MA. Enlisting in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

in 1940, he fought in North Africa and Italy, being badly wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans in 1944. Liberated in 1945, Russell left the Army the following year and was appointed to the Colonial Administrative Service, taking a course in colonial administration at

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has around 300 undergraduate and 175 graduate stud ...

. After postings in

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

and the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

, where he was Chief Secretary, he was appointed Governor of the Cayman Islands in 1970, serving until 1981; his term was extended three times, making him the longest-serving governor of the territory. Returning to England after his retirement, he was appointed representative of the Cayman Islands government in the United Kingdom in 1982, opening an office in London. Russell died in Scotland in 2016; he was praised by Cayman premier Alden McLaughlin as "by far one of the most respected and favoured governors".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Thomas 1920 births 2016 deaths People educated at Hawick High School Alumni of the University of St Andrews Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Governors of the Cayman Islands British Army personnel of World War II British World War II prisoners of war Colonial Administrative Service officers Colony of Fiji people British Solomon Islands people Members of the Governing Council of the Solomon Islands