Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke
Encyclopedia
Sir Percy Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke , KBE, CMG
, MC
, MD
, FRCP, DPH
, DTM&H
, CStJ Barrister
at Law, was the Director of Medical Services, Hong Kong
, from 1937–1943 and Governor
of the Seychelles
from 1947–1951.
. He joined St Bartholomew's Hospital
Medical School
in 1912 and qualified in 1916.
Selwyn-Clarke served as a medical officer with two different units in France
during the First World War. He was wounded twice and was awarded the Military Cross
in 1918. He entered the Colonial Medical Service and was posted to the Gold Coast
in 1919.
From 1937–1943, Selwyn-Clarke served as Hong Kong Director of Medical Services at the request of the incoming governor, Sir Geoffry Northcote. In 1943, Selwyn-Clarke went to the incoming Japanese military governor and secured permission to carry on as director of medical services, to work to preserve the lives and improve the health of thousands of prisoners of war, internees, and others by containing disease, improving sanitation, and working to prevent food-borne illnesses.
Early in 1943, two of Selwyn-Clarke's sponsors on the Japanese foreign office staff were posted away. At the same time, allied prisoner escapes were becoming more organized and successful. Fearing imminent arrest, he shared the details of his secret stores of medical supplies to two Chinese women helpers who continued his work successfully to the end of the war.
The Japanese arrested Selwyn-Clarke on 2 May 1943, and subjected him to 19 months of solitary confinement, which included 10 months of repeated tortures in an attempt to get him to confess to a list of 40 charges, including that he was the head of British espionage in Hong Kong. Though Selwyn-Clarke confessed to no charges, other tortured prisoners implicated him. Selwyn-Clarke was sentenced to death in a formal trial. The sentence was never carried out and the torture resumed.
Early in 1944, Selwyn-Clarke was moved to Stanley prison and given a second military trial. His sentence was reduced to three years and the capital charges against him were dropped. In December 1944 he was reprieved for reasons that remain debated.
Following his experiences in Hong Kong, Selwyn-Clarke served the British government as governor and commander-in-chief of the Seychelles for four years. In 1951 he returned to London and, for the five years until his retirement, resumed his career at the Ministry of Health. He remained active as an advocate for improved human conditions and medical and social advancement until his death in Hampstead on 13 March 1976.
At the time of Selwyn-Clarke's arrest, his wife and daughter were taken to the internment camp on the Stanley Peninsula.
in Hong Kong was named after Selwyn-Clarke.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, FRCP, DPH
Professional degrees of public health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
, DTM&H
DTM&H
DTM&H stands for Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. It is a postgraduate award, given after a prescribed period of instruction followed by an examination consisting of three parts; a written examination a practical laboratory examination and an oral examination. In some schools, a fourth...
, CStJ Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at Law, was the Director of Medical Services, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, from 1937–1943 and Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
from 1947–1951.
Biography
Sir Percy Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke was born in North Finchley in December 1893, and educated at BedalesBedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational independent school situated in Hampshire, in the south east of England. Founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventional Victorian schools, today the school is one of the most expensive in the UK, charging £9,985 per term for a...
. He joined St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
Medical School
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
in 1912 and qualified in 1916.
Selwyn-Clarke served as a medical officer with two different units in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the First World War. He was wounded twice and was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1918. He entered the Colonial Medical Service and was posted to the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
in 1919.
From 1937–1943, Selwyn-Clarke served as Hong Kong Director of Medical Services at the request of the incoming governor, Sir Geoffry Northcote. In 1943, Selwyn-Clarke went to the incoming Japanese military governor and secured permission to carry on as director of medical services, to work to preserve the lives and improve the health of thousands of prisoners of war, internees, and others by containing disease, improving sanitation, and working to prevent food-borne illnesses.
Early in 1943, two of Selwyn-Clarke's sponsors on the Japanese foreign office staff were posted away. At the same time, allied prisoner escapes were becoming more organized and successful. Fearing imminent arrest, he shared the details of his secret stores of medical supplies to two Chinese women helpers who continued his work successfully to the end of the war.
The Japanese arrested Selwyn-Clarke on 2 May 1943, and subjected him to 19 months of solitary confinement, which included 10 months of repeated tortures in an attempt to get him to confess to a list of 40 charges, including that he was the head of British espionage in Hong Kong. Though Selwyn-Clarke confessed to no charges, other tortured prisoners implicated him. Selwyn-Clarke was sentenced to death in a formal trial. The sentence was never carried out and the torture resumed.
Early in 1944, Selwyn-Clarke was moved to Stanley prison and given a second military trial. His sentence was reduced to three years and the capital charges against him were dropped. In December 1944 he was reprieved for reasons that remain debated.
Following his experiences in Hong Kong, Selwyn-Clarke served the British government as governor and commander-in-chief of the Seychelles for four years. In 1951 he returned to London and, for the five years until his retirement, resumed his career at the Ministry of Health. He remained active as an advocate for improved human conditions and medical and social advancement until his death in Hampstead on 13 March 1976.
Family life
In 1935 Selwyn-Clarke married Hilda Browning, whom his associates characterized as a woman of strong social conscience and forward-looking ideas. Their daughter was born in 1936 and accompanied them to Hong Kong. Selwyn-Clarke's wife became known as "Red Hilda" during the couple's time in Hong Kong. Though not officially employed, Hilda worked by Selwyn-Clarke's side to improve conditions, help people under her husband's care, and repeatedly make a new home for her family as they were uprooted and moved about.At the time of Selwyn-Clarke's arrest, his wife and daughter were taken to the internment camp on the Stanley Peninsula.
Place names
The Nursing Quarters at Kwong Wah HospitalKwong Wah Hospital
Kwong Wah Hospital is a major hospital in South Kowloon of Hong Kong. It is located at Waterloo Road in Yau Ma Tei.The former Main Hall Building of Kwong Wah Hospital is preserved and houses the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Museum.-History:...
in Hong Kong was named after Selwyn-Clarke.
Sources
- The Hard Boiled Saint: Selwyn-Clarke in Hong Kong by Mervyn Horder, published in the British Medical JournalBritish Medical JournalBMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...