Sir George Stewart Symes, (29 July 1882 – 5 December 1962) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer and colonial governor.

Career

Symes was born in Kent, the son of Lieutenant Colonel William Alexander Symes of the 71st Highland Light Infantry, and Emily Catherine (''née'' Shore), daughter of

Charles Shore, 2nd Baron Teignmouth Charles John Shore, 2nd Baron Teignmouth FRS (13 January 1796 – 18 September 1885) was a British Conservative politician. Background and education Charles John Shore was born in Calcutta in India, the son of John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth ...

Symes was commissioned a second lieutenant in

The Hampshire Regiment The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The r ...

in August 1900, and served in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

during the end of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

in 1902, receiving the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 21 April 1902. Symes took part in the

Battle of Rooiwal The Battle of Rooiwal was an engagement of the Second Boer War. It took place on 11 April 1902 and resulted in a victory by a British force commanded by Colonel Robert Kekewich over a Boer commando led by Generals Ferdinandus Jacobus Potgieter ...

and was stationed for a while in Potchefstroom. He later stayed briefly in the town of

Hermanus Hermanus (originally called ''Hermanuspietersfontein'', but shortened in 1902 as the name was too long for the postal service

which he described as "peaceful." Later that year he was posted in the Aden Hinterland, where he served 1903–1904. He is said to have been the only British army officer to be awarded a

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...

(DSO) for services in the

hinterland Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...

. He was Governor of the Palestine North District from 1920 to 1925, Chief Secretary to the Government of Palestine from 1925 to 1928, Resident at Aden from 1928 to 1931, Governor of Tanganyika from 1931 to 1934 and Governor-General of the

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ar, السودان الإنجليزي المصري ') was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt in the Sudans region of northern Africa between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day ...

from 1934 to 1940. During his time in Tanganyika he gained a reputation for governing in the interest of the indigenous African population. This led to him becoming unpopular with some of the white settlers in that country and in neighboring Kenya, and he was known as being one of the most "pro-African" colonial governors. On every issue in which there was conflict between indigenous Africans and European settlers he governed in favor of the Africans. On multiple occasions he had European settlers deported from the country on the grounds they were mistreating Africans. There were British District Commissioners who were administrators under previous governors, and during their time in Tanganyika had learned to speak the Tongwe and Bende languages before being rotated out, Symes had them recalled to Tanganyika and stationed in areas that spoke Tongwe and Bende. He also devoted government resources towards water purification projects, literacy programs and the administration of antibiotics to natives. On numerous issues he promoted encouraging the native population to vote on matters that effected them. He also insisted, as did his predecessor, that Africans be paid the same wages as Europeans and Indians for the same work. When asked in the 1950s if he supported African independence movements he said that he did.

References

External links

The Malvern Register, 1905

{{DEFAULTSORT:Symes, Stewart 1882 births 1962 deaths Governors-General of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Royal Hampshire Regiment officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath British Army personnel of the Second Boer War People educated at Malvern College British colonial governors and administrators in Asia British Army personnel of World War I Governors of Tanganyika (territory) Colony of Aden people Chief Secretaries of Palestine People from Wateringbury