Past Governor of Trinidad and Tobago Sir Herbert Young

Hubert Young

Major Sir Hubert Winthrop Young, KCMG, DSO.

Twelfth Governor of Trinidad and Tobago

Born in 1885

Died on November 1, 1955

He was educated at Eton and the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich.

Then he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1904. He became a Lieutenant in 1907 qualified as a French interpreter.

He was transferred to the 116 Mahratta Light Infantry, Indian Army in 1908, as an Arabic interpreter.

He became a Captain in 1913, and an Adjutant between 1913 and 1914

He served in World War One, from 1914 to 1918, being on the North West Frontier, India in 1915.

Between 1915 and 1917, he served as an Assistant Political Officer in Mesopotamia.

A Deputy Director Local Resources in 1917 and 1918.

A General Staff Officer 2 in the Hajaz operations, Arabia, Egyptian Expenditionary Force.

President of Local Resources Board in Damascus Syria in 1918.

Was awarded DSO (The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth of Nations, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.) in 1919, for gallantry during an attack by Arab forces in Turkish positions at Mezerab, Syria, September 1918.

Worked at the Foreign Office between 1919 to 1921.

Was the Assistant Secretary at the Middle East Department Colonial Office between 1921 and 1927.

Was awarded CMG in 1923. (The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George honours service overseas or in connection with foreign or Commonwealth affairs. Companion - CMG)

Served as Colonial Secretary to Gibraltar from 1927 to 1929.

Counsellor to High Commission for Iraq from 1929 to 1932.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Baghdad, Iraq from October to November 1932.

Was Knighted in 1932.

Became Governor and Commander in Chief to Nyasaland, between 1932 and 1934.

Was created KCMG in 1934. (The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George honours service overseas or in connection with foreign or Commonwealth affairs. Knight or Dame Commander KCMG).

Became Governor and Commander in Chief to Northern Rhodesia between 1934 and 1938.

Served as Governor and Commander in Chief to Trinidad and Tobago, between 1938 and 1942.

In August of 1938, Britain launched a Royal Commission under the leadership of Lord Moyne to investigate and make recommendations on the social and economic life of the British West Indian colonies. Which exposed the horrible conditions under which the people of the British Caribbean lived. The deficiencies in the education system, economic and social problems of unemployment, juvenile delinquency, poor health conditions and the high infant mortality rate.

It was very concerned over the plight of sugar workers, small farmers, child labour and discrimination against women at workplaces, especially as they worked long hours for less pay than men received. And that workers were unprotected since there were no collective labour agreements as only employers decided what wages should be.

The Commission also looked at the political system operating in all the territories and recommended the expansion of the franchise, by extending the opportunities for people other than the financially influential to stand for election. It was recommended the reduction of the margin between the qualifications for registration as a voter and those for membership on the Legislative Council.

He served as Assistant Secretary, Relief Department between 1943 and 1944.

In the European Regional Office, UN Relief and Rehabilitation Administration between 1944 and 1945.

Became the Liberal Party Parliamentary Candidate for Harrow West in 1945 and Edge Hill in 1947.

He wrote the sympathetic book The Independent Arab, a part-memoir, part-travelogue detailing his diplomatic and military time in the Middle East.