Mark Aitchison Young facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Mark Aitchison Young
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| 21st Governor of Hong Kong | |||||||||||
| In office 1 May 1946 – 17 May 1947 |
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| Monarch | George VI | ||||||||||
| Colonial Secretary | David Mercer MacDougall | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sir Cecil Harcourt (Acting, Military Administration) | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alexander Grantham | ||||||||||
| In office 10 September 1941 – 25 December 1941 |
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| Monarch | George VI | ||||||||||
| Colonial Secretary | Norman Lockhart Smith Sir Franklin Gimson |
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| Preceded by | Sir Geoffry Northcote | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Takashi Sakai (under Japanese occupation) | ||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||
| Born | 30 June 1886 British Raj |
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| Died | 12 May 1974 (aged 87) Winchester, England |
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| Spouse | Josephine Mary | ||||||||||
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge | ||||||||||
| Profession | soldier, colonial administrator | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 楊慕琦 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 杨慕琦 | ||||||||||
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Sir Mark Aitchison Young (born June 30, 1886 – died May 12, 1974) was a British leader. He served as the Governor of Hong Kong right before and after the time when Japan took control of the area during World War II. A governor is like a top leader or manager for a territory or region.
Contents
Early Life and First Jobs
Mark Young was born in British Raj (which is now India). His father, William Mackworth Young, was also a colonial administrator, meaning he helped manage areas that were part of the British Empire.
Mark Young went to famous schools like Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. In 1909, he started working for the government in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). During World War I, he joined the British Army in 1915.
Working Around the World
After the war, Mark Young continued his career as a colonial administrator. He worked in several different places around the world:
- From 1923 to 1928, he was a top secretary in Ceylon.
- From 1928 to 1930, he worked in Sierra Leone.
- From 1930 to 1933, he was a chief secretary in the British Mandate of Palestine.
- From 1933 to 1938, he was the governor of Barbados.
- In 1937 and 1938, he also worked in Trinidad and Tobago.
- From 1938 to 1941, he was the governor of Tanganyika Territory (now part of Tanzania).
These roles prepared him for his biggest challenge yet: leading Hong Kong.
Governor of Hong Kong and War Prisoner
On September 10, 1941, Mark Young became the Governor of Hong Kong. At this time, Japanese forces were already close to Hong Kong, fighting in China. This meant Hong Kong was in danger.
Just hours after the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. The Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 17 days. On December 25, 1941, Governor Young had to surrender Hong Kong to the Japanese General Takashi Sakai. This day became known as 'Black Christmas' in Hong Kong. The people of Hong Kong then lived under Japanese rule for three years and eight months.
Even though the situation was very difficult, Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, told Governor Young to keep fighting as long as possible. Churchill believed that every day Hong Kong resisted helped the Allies in the war.
From December 1941 to August 1945, Governor Young was a prisoner of war (POW) held by the Japanese. He was moved to several different prison camps, including places in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Japan, and Manchuria. Even though he was a high-ranking official, he was treated poorly by his captors.
After the War
In September 1945, Japan was defeated, and the British took control of Hong Kong again. After recovering in England, Sir Mark Young returned to his role as Governor of Hong Kong on May 1, 1946.
When he came back, he suggested some big changes for Hong Kong. He wanted to allow Hong Kong residents to choose members for a new council that would help manage daily affairs. He also wanted to promote more local Chinese people to important government jobs. However, these ideas were later stopped by the next governor, Alexander Grantham. Sir Mark Young retired from his position in 1947.
Personal Life
Sir Mark Young was married to Josephine Mary, and they had two sons and two daughters.
He is one of the few governors of Hong Kong who was not honored in Hong Kong after his time in office. This might be because most of his time as governor was spent as a prisoner of war, and he only served a short period after the war.
Honours
Sir Mark Young received several important awards for his service:
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (C.M.G.) in 1931.- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (K.C.M.G.) in 1934, which meant he could use the title Sir.
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (G.C.M.G.) in 1946, a very high honor.
