72:
309:, West Africa and East and Central Africa joined together in 1960 to form a new body which could represent all existing and future pensioners of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS). The initial purpose was quite narrow, namely to persuade the British Government to provide annual pension increases for HMOCS pensioners to match those given to other civil servants in the Home Civil Service and the Foreign Service in Britain. This would be preferable to relying on a hope that the new overseas governments would continue to award increases as had been the practice before independence. This objective was achieved by the passing in December 1962 of the Pensions (Increase) Act which covered HMOCS pensioners like the others.
247:
eventual retirement pension arrangements. As expatriate officers they were entitled to take "long leave" every few years (varying between territories) outside their territory of service. This distinguished them from the locally-engaged personnel in government service who were on local leave terms. The normal retirement age was 55, set originally to allow for the adverse effect the tropical climate had on their health. In some cases an officer could be transferred from one territory to another, by arrangement with the
Colonial Office and the two colonial governments concerned.
225:
personality, character and motivation. From the mid-1920s, they attended a year’s training course at London, Oxford or
Cambridge Universities. Administrative Officers were responsible for effecting government policy in the districts and provinces of each territory, as well as serving in the central Secretariat in the capital. First appointment was normally in the Provincial Administration. The starting rank was District Officer (cadet), during the first two years of probation; then
229:(in some territories termed Assistant District Commissioner); rising to District Commissioner when given such charge, and Provincial Commissioner above that. Colonial Governors were normally selected from appropriately senior officers. Exceptions were Gibraltar, Malta and Bermuda, formerly classified as "fortress" colonies, where until the post-war years the governors were normally military or naval officers, and thereafter were usually political appointees.
116:. Recruitment included candidates from the four self-governing Dominions: Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and a few of the colonies themselves, such as Southern Rhodesia, Malta, Cyprus, and some in the Caribbean. The officers were members of the civil service of the particular territory in which they served, as well as belonging to the relevant sub-service of the Colonial Service.
259:, then a slow-down during the 1930s, with an estimated number of about 8,000 in 1938. Numbers boomed after the Second World War, rising to just over 11,000 posts in 1947, and a peak of about 18,000 in 1954. Thereafter the size of the Service shrank rapidly as most territories attained independence, until its formal end with the hand-over of
328:'s rule), refused to continue pension payments to the former overseas officers, contrary to the agreements that had been reached with the governments at the time of independence. So OSPA had a new reason to negotiate with the British Government, and this time it took almost ten years of persistence by OSPA until the government passed the
236:
between the different territories. In practice, Administrative
Officers spent much of their time, especially after World War Two, in supervising and coordinating development of all kinds in their districts including medical services, schools, infrastructure, water supply, and provision of agricultural and veterinary services.
111:
Initially there was no actual corps of officers employed in the colonies and "plantations", but that changed as the colonial empire grew during the rest of that century and into the 20th century. During the 1920s there were progressive moves towards the unification of the varied types of service that
461:
journals. As at
September 2019, the collection is undergoing cataloguing and not yet available to the public. The research project VOICES conducted 108 oral history interviews with former HMOCS officers between 2016 and 2018. In some cases, the interviews were supplemented with personal documents by
235:
The first responsibility of the
Colonial Administrative Service on was the maintenance of law and order. However, contrary to popular belief, this was largely implemented through the agency of indigenous police forces, local courts, district councils and local chiefs although there were variations
288:
in that same year was quite different, with no ordered succession to the colonial officers. By 1960, in the
African territories, special compensation schemes were introduced whereby the British Government agreed to finance payments through the territorial governments to HMOCS officers whose career
224:
The
Colonial Administrative Service represented the authority of the colonial government in all respects. It was an elite of generalists, people mostly with University or other higher education qualifications, and appointments were made after selection interviews intended to assess candidates’
246:
Although
Colonial Service/HMOCS officers were recruited by the British Colonial Office which then appointed them to serve in a particular territory, they were not employed by the British Government. They were employed and paid by the territorial government which was also responsible for their
99:
The historical record of the
Colonial Service begins with the publication on 30 March 1837, in the reign of King William IV, of the first set of what became known as Colonial Regulations, relating to "His Majesty's Colonial Service". It can therefore be said to have been the oldest of all the
292:
The normal budgetary system in most territories was that every few years there would be a salaries review, which would include pensions, when increases would be made. There was consequently concern about whether the new independent governments would be willing to continue to pay the pension
105:
351:
and of himself for "the extraordinarily valuable contribution, let alone the personal sacrifices, made by members of the
Overseas Civil Service (and its previous manifestations) during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries". The guest speaker, introduced by OSPA's president
450:, which hold the British Empire and Commonwealth Collection, consisting mainly of personal archives (photographs, films and paper) collected by British people living and working in the former Empire. It is actively taking in material and objects relating to colonial times;
83:
The British Government's overall responsibility for the management of the territories overseas in the early 19th century lay with successive departments dealing with the various colonies and "plantations", until in 1854 a separate Colonial Office was created headed by a
332:. That was followed by several more years of negotiations with the various overseas governments concerned to complete the process. The outcome was that the British Government accepted responsibility for all HMOCS pension payments, and that system operates until now.
119:
Finally, in 1954, they were all combined under the title of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS). That continued until 1 July 1997, when the largest remaining colony, Hong Kong, was handed over to the People’s Republic of China, designated as a
88:. That office was not responsible for the territories of the Indian Empire, including Burma, nor for Sudan which was linked to Egypt, nor for Southern Rhodesia which came under the Dominions Office. In 1966 the Colonial Office was merged with the
242:
There were regular training courses for agriculture (in Trinidad), forestry, veterinary, medical, education, and police. For other professions such as audit, surveys, or fisheries, for example, there were ad hoc training arrangements.
340:, was published bi-annually from 1960 until OSPA's closure in October 2017. It included articles and book reviews about all aspects of the Colonial Empire and the related experiences of colonial officers and their families.
275:
The approach of independence in each territory had fundamental effects on HMOCS personnel there, depending on the outlook of the emerging local rulers and the stage of general social and economic development. In the case of
335:
Over the next 40 years there was a succession of diverse pension problems relating to the Overseas Civil Service, so OSPA continued to represent the pensioners by working for satisfactory outcomes. OSPA's journal,
96:. In 1968 that Office was merged with the Foreign Office, renamed as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which maintained ultimate oversight of the dwindling residual HMOCS personnel until 1997.
232:
A few territories recruited female administrative officers, designated as Women Administrative Assistants. They filled supporting roles either in provincial headquarters or in the central Secretariat.
376:, both in London, hold extensive records about all aspects of the British Empire, including the Colonial Service and HMOCS. There are particular collections in other centres, the chief ones being at:
418:
which holds the corporate records of SOAS as well as the collected archives of organisations and individuals that document British interaction with Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Together the
284:
in February 1948, the relatively few Colonial Service staff were smoothly replaced by local counterparts, and their retirement pensions continued to be paid as normal. The end of British rule in
71:
474:
created by Stephen Luscombe. He is keen to receive original records or memoirs, and also photographs and films. He allows the use of illustrations or maps in his possession in others' work.
571:
146:
The physical memorial "To all who served the Crown in the Colonial Territories" is displayed in the South Cloister of Westminster Abbey, unveiled by H.M. The Queen in March 1966.
293:
entitlements of their former "colonial masters", and at what exchange rates when there was no certainty about the long-term soundness of their financial and economic policies.
329:
255:
The overall size of the Colonial Service changed greatly through the 20th century. In 1900 there were only about 1,000 overseas posts. There was an expansion after the
112:
developed across the widely differing territories. In 1931 a unified Colonial Service was created, initially with sixteen sub-services, with four more added after the
560:
666:
422:
provide a range of sources, both institutional and personal and in a variety of formats, that reflect many aspects of service overseas.
656:
481:
compiled by Terry Barringer of Wolfson College, Cambridge, published by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.
399:. These include many personal accounts as well as government reports relating to Colonial Service. There are also the University's
661:
516:
Rules and Regulations for the Information and Guidance of the Principal Officers and Others in His Majesty’s Colonial Possessions
121:
360:. He concluded by saying, "You did the State and the Crown very considerable, very special service, – and I salute you for it."
289:
employment would be ended prematurely. In some cases an "Inducement Allowance" was also paid to encourage officers to stay on.
641:
369:
572:
Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield's speech to the OSPA farewell event, 8 June 2017, with introduction and conclusion by Lord Goodlad
457:
holds records from the office of the former Overseas Service Pensioners’ Association (OSPA), including a complete set of the
637:
52:
495:
85:
40:
462:
the interviewees. As at September 2019, the material is being prepared for online publication in cooperation with the
411:
385:
140:
414:. Included within these are personal accounts of service overseas. One of the University's other Libraries is at
317:
128:) were filled by ad hoc British government appointments and overseen by two Ministers of the British government.
407:
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396:
301:
In response to these concerns, the four existing pensioner associations of retired officers who had served in
89:
426:
125:
59:, which was administered by the Sudan Political Service, nor in the internally self-governing colony of
436:
415:
343:
OSPA's closure was marked by a farewell event held in London on 8 June 2017. The guest of honour was
239:
The other services all had their own specialist professional qualifications or relevant experience.
478:
154:
During the 1930s the following sixteen sub-services were brought into the unified Colonial Service:
344:
582:
264:
101:
75:
Yoruba sculptural depiction of a District Officer on a tour of inspection ("safari") in Nigeria,
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to China on 1 July 1997. A number of HMOCS Police officers and others stayed on to serve the
598:
306:
56:
8:
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93:
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514:
page 9 of Kirk-Greene's 'On Crown Service' in the References below reproduces text from
325:
281:
100:
overseas services, predating the formation of the Indian Civil Service in 1858 and the
443:
131:
The formal end of HMOCS in 1997 was marked by a special commemorative service held in
270:
132:
60:
447:
381:
353:
226:
113:
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For a record of published memoirs and related studies there is the very extensive
626:
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On Crown Service: A History of HM Colonial and Overseas Civil Services, 1837–1997
373:
256:
44:
357:
302:
277:
36:
650:
48:
463:
419:
389:
348:
136:
124:. Thereafter the relatively few posts in the small remaining colonies (now
432:
454:
410:, University of London, holds the extensive archives collected by the
312:
Then about a year later, in 1963/64, two newly independent countries,
296:
397:
the library and archive collections of the Royal Commonwealth Society
260:
207:
During the 1940s four more were added, bringing the total to twenty:
471:
321:
271:
The effects of independence on HM Overseas Civil Service personnel
400:
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in Oxford where the Colonial Records Project was started in 1963;
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561:
Prince of Wales's speech to the OSPA farewell event, 8 June 2017
35:), was the British government service that administered most of
583:
https://homepage.univie.ac.at/valentin.seidler/project-voices/
363:
529:
Notes on Government Organisation No.12: Colonial Governments
623:
Symbol of Authority, The British District Officer in Africa
479:“Administering Empire” annotated bibliographic Check List
388:), which now holds the records previously assembled at
104:
in 1899, and in the course of its existence controlled
297:
The Overseas Service Pensioners' Association (OSPA)
395:Cambridge: in the University Library, which holds
648:
51:, where the same function was delivered by the
16:Imperial Colonial Service of The United Kingdom
464:Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital History
347:, who gave a speech expressing the thanks of
625:(London, I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., 2006)
605:(London: I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., 1999)
613:Britain's Imperial Administrators 1858–1966
470:Another source is the independent website
364:Archives of the Colonial Service and HMOCS
220:Queen Elizabeth's Overseas Nursing Service
667:1931 establishments in the United Kingdom
70:
250:
649:
324:(after a revolution overthrowing the
425:Edinburgh: Main Library building of
29:Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service
86:Secretary of State for the Colonies
41:Secretary of State for the Colonies
13:
280:, which became independent as the
179:Colonial Geological Survey Service
25:His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service
14:
678:
412:Institute of Commonwealth Studies
47:in London. It did not operate in
657:Governance of the British Empire
496:His Majesty's Diplomatic Service
491:His Majesty's Home Civil Service
318:British Somaliland Protectorate
211:Colonial Civil Aviation Service
158:Colonial Administrative Service
662:Civil Service (United Kingdom)
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39:, under the authority of the
615:(Macmillan Press Ltd, 2000)
427:Edinburgh University Library
214:Colonial Engineering Service
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135:on 25 May 1999, attended by
126:British Overseas Territories
7:
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358:Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield
203:Colonial Veterinary Service
10:
683:
633:Colonial Regulations, 1945
541:Overseas Pensions Act 1973
401:Centre for African Studies
330:Overseas Pensions Act 1973
316:(incorporating the former
173:Colonial Education Service
66:
455:Vienna University Library
437:National Library of Wales
416:SOAS University of London
217:Colonial Research Service
167:Colonial Chemical Service
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197:Colonial Prisons Service
185:Colonial Medical Service
170:Colonial Customs Service
27:and replaced in 1954 by
472:www.britishempire.co.uk
200:Colonial Survey Service
194:Colonial Postal Service
191:Colonial Police Service
176:Colonial Forest Service
102:Sudan Political Service
621:Kirk-Greene, Anthony,
611:Kirk-Greene, Anthony,
338:The Overseas Pensioner
188:Colonial Mines Service
182:Colonial Legal Service
164:Colonial Audit Service
80:
141:the Duke of Edinburgh
74:
627:link at Google Books
617:link at Google Books
607:link at Google Books
599:Kirk-Greene, Anthony
408:Senate House Library
356:, was the historian
251:Size and termination
57:Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
53:Indian Civil Service
345:The Prince of Wales
94:Commonwealth Office
459:Overseas Pensioner
282:Dominion of Ceylon
92:(CRO) to form the
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642:National Archives
631:Colonial Office,
370:National Archives
133:Westminster Abbey
61:Southern Rhodesia
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227:District Officer
114:Second World War
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43:and the
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67:History
531:, 1951
518:, 1837
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320:) and
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