Sir Anthony Hastings George

KCMG KCMG may refer to * KC Motorgroup, based in Hong Kong, China * Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, British honour * KCMG-LP, radio station in New Mexico, USA * KCMG, callsign 1997-2001 of Los Angeles radio station KKLQ (FM) ...

(乔治爵士; 3 November 1886 – 9 January 1944) was a British diplomat, who served as British Consul-General in Shanghai and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

during the Second World War.

Early life

Anthony Hastings George was born in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, England on 3 November 1886. He was the son of William Edwards George and Charlotte Elizabeth Otway. He attended

Malvern College Malvern College is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent coeducational day and boarding school in Malvern, Worcestershire, Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is a public school (United Kingdom), public school in the British sen ...

where he was house prefect. He also played cricket and football. He left in Easter 1903 to read for the diplomatic service exam.

Consular positions in China

George entered the

Diplomatic Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to ...

in the China Consular Service on 23 October 1908 and was posted to the legation in

Peking } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

as a

student interpreter Student interpreter was, historically, an entry-level position in the British and American diplomatic and consular service, principally in China, Japan, Siam and, in the case of the United States, Turkey. It is no longer used as a title. A number o ...

. He was promoted to be a second assistant in 1915. After many years service he rose to be appointed a Vice-Consul in China on 27 August 1926. On 27 September 1929 George was appointed a

Consul-General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

in China. However, on 1 January 1930 he was further promoted to be Commercial Secretary, of the Second Grade, at the Legation in Peking to Minister Sir Miles Lampson. Most legation officials spent their time between Peking, Nanking (the official capital of China since 1928) and Shanghai, which was made even more difficult by the Japanese war with China from 1937; Ambassador Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen was shot and injured when Japanese aircraft strafed his car as he travelled to Shanghai from Nanking in August 1937. During these hostilities, George received American golfing champion

Walter Hagen Walter Charles Hagen (December 21, 1892 – October 6, 1969) was an American professional golfer and a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of 11 professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus (18) and Tiger ...

during his visit to Shanghai's Hungjao Golf Club: "Pointing to the eighteenth green,

agen The communes of France, commune of Agen (, ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne Departments of France, department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. ...

noticed the freshly turfed grass and unfilled bunkers. 'They were shelled a few days ago,' explained Anthony 'Frank' Hastings George of the British Consulate. 'They rebuilt it especially for your visit!'". For his service to the embassy, on 9 June 1938 he was made a 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 IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(CMG). In August 1940 he was appointed British

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

. Shanghai was a tenuous posting, involving managing the British government's approach to the

Shanghai Municipal Council The Shanghai International Settlement () originated from the merger in the year 1863 of the British Concession (Shanghai), British and American Concession (Shanghai), American list of former foreign enclaves in China, enclaves in Shanghai, i ...

as well as increasingly difficult relations with the Japanese who had occupied the Chinese city in since 1937. Most British troops defending the settlement had been withdrawn earlier in the year and George's position was not a strong one. George served until the Japanese declaration of war and seizure of the Shanghai International Settlement in December 1941. Interned by the Japanese for eight months, in mid 1942 George was repatriated aboard the

Kamakura Maru The was a Japanese passenger ship which, renamed ''Kamakura Maru'', was sunk during World War II, killing 2,035 soldiers and civilians on board. The ''Chichibu Maru'' was built for the Nippon Yusen shipping company by the Yokohama Dock Company. ...

to Lorenco Marques (now

Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the Capital city, capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a popul ...

) and then returned to London. For his service in Shanghai, George was later appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) on 2 June 1943.

Consular position in the United States

George was later appointed as Consul-General to the US states of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

and

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, resident in

in August 1943.

Death

George, who had never fully recovered from

amoebic dysentery Amoebiasis, or amoebic dysentery, is an infection of the intestines caused by a parasitic amoeba ''Entamoeba histolytica''. Amoebiasis can be present with no, mild, or severe symptoms. Symptoms may include lethargy, loss of weight, colonic ulc ...

contracted during his internment in Shanghai, was continually suffering poor health and went on a visit to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Maryland, in January 1944 before planning to return to London on sick leave. While staying at the Lord Baltimore Hotel George fell to his death from his room on the fourth floor, which was later pronounced to be suicide. On his death, the New York edition of the ''

Shanghai Evening Post & Mercury The ''Shanghai Evening Post & Mercury'' was an English language newspaper in Shanghai, China, published by the Post-Mercury Co. The newspaper represented the point of view of Shanghai's American business community.Tucker, p124 The newspaper office ...

'' noted that his death was "a true war casualty. There can be no doubt that his act was a direct result of depression arising from his experiences in Shanghai where, as British consul general, he went through the first eight months of the hostilities with Japan. Before repatriation he contracted illness which unquestionably was a major factor in the ultimate tragedy."

Publications

* *

References

External links

Photo of George from the Baltimore Sun
* {{DEFAULTSORT:George, Anthony Hastings 1886 births 1944 suicides British diplomats British diplomats in China Suicides in Maryland Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George People educated at Malvern College Civil servants from Bristol Suicides by jumping in the United States Burials at Druid Ridge Cemetery 1944 deaths British expatriates in China British expatriates in the United States