Andrew Lusk Shields

Andrew Lusk Shields
Unofficial Member of the Executive Council of Hong Kong
In office 8 July 1941 – 25 December 1941
Appointed by	Sir Mark Young
Preceded by	S. H. Dodwell
Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
In office 29 April 1938 – 25 December 1941
Appointed by	Sir Geoffry Northcote
Preceded by	M. T. Johnson
Chairman of the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation
In office February 1939 – February 1940
Preceded by	Thomas Ernest Pearce
Succeeded by	H. V. Wikinson
Personal details
Born	c. 1882
Died	24 July 1944 (aged 62) Occupied territory of Hong Kong
Occupation	Businessman

Andrew Lusk Shields (c. 1882 – 24 July 1944) was a Scottish businessman and politician in Hong Kong. He died as a prisoner of war following the surrender of Hong Kong in 1941.

Life

Shields was born in about 1882. He joined Shewan, Tomes & Co. and succeeded Robert Shewan as a partner of the firm.^[1] He was also chairman of the Sandakan Light and Power Co.^[2] and had been on the board of directors of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. He was elected chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in 1938.^[3]

He was an unofficial member of the Legislative Council from 1938 to 1941^[4] as representative of the Chamber of Commerce^[3] and was appointed to the Executive Council in April 1941.^[5] During his time on the Legislative Council, taxation was hotly debated. Shields, representing the Chamber of Commerce's interest, opposed the government's Income Tax Bill for the raising of revenue for war.^[6]

Shields was a keen sailor. He was the commodore of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club between 1927 and 1928, and was elected again in 1932,^[7] serving until 1936.^[1] He was also appointed honorary commander of the Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force in January 1934.^[8] He was a member of the Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Advisory Committee.^[9]

Shields was also president of the St. Andrew's Society, a club for Scotsmen in Hong Kong, in 1932 and elected chief-captain in 1933.^[10]

He held public offices including, among others, member of the Volunteer Advisory Committee^[11] and Appeal Tribunal under the Compulsory Service Ordinance,^[12] and acted as a member of the Authorized Architects Consulting Committee,^[13] the Shipping Control Board,^[14] and as the chairman of the Essential Commodities Board during the absence of Stanley Hudson Dodwell.^[15]

During the Battle of Hong Kong, he was escorted through the Japanese lines from the Repulse Bay Hotel and gave Major-General Christopher Maltby an account of the Japanese forces and equipment. He tried to persuade Maltby to surrender but Maltby decided to fight on.^[16] Hong Kong finally surrendered on 25 December 1941^[17] which is now referred to as "Black Christmas".^[18]

Shields became a prisoner of war and died at the Stanley Internment Camp on 24 July 1944 at the age of 62. His wife was repatriated with the Canadians.^[19]

References

1. England, Vaudine (1998). The Quest of Noel Croucher: Hong Kong's Quiet Philanthropist. Hong Kong University Press.
2. "A SMALL DEFICIT". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 9 January 1934. p. 10.
3. Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce: Report for the Year 1952. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Hong Kong: Ye Olde Printerie, Ltd. 1953.
4. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (333). 29 April 1938.
5. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (825). 10 July 1941.
6. "Taxation in Hongkong Compared to Other Places". Hong Kong Daily Press. 17 November 1939. p. 2.
7. "New Commodore". The Hong Kong Telegraph. 28 October 1932. p. 11.
8. "Naval Volunteer appointments.". The China Mail. 1 January 1934. p. 9.
9. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (442). 24 June 1937.
10. "New Commodore". The Hong Kong Telegraph. 30 September 1933.
11. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (659). 24 August 1938.
12. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (1197). 28 October 1940.
13. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (857). 18 July 1941.
14. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (803). 4 July 1941.
15. "The Hong Kong Government Gazette". The Hong Kong Government (802). 4 July 1941.
16. "Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp". Gwulo: Old Hong Kong. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
17. L, Klemen (1999–2000). "Chronology of the Dutch East Indies, 25 December 1941 – 31 December 1941". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942.
18. "Hong Kong's 'Black Christmas". China Daily. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
19. Banham, Tony (2009). We Shall Suffer There: Hong Kong's Defenders Imprisoned, 1942–45. Hong Kong University Press. p. 169.