11 Facts About Edward Gent

Edward Gent was most famous for heading early British attempts to crush a pro-independence uprising in Malaya led by the Malayan Communist Party during the Malayan Emergency, before dying during the first year of the war in an aviation accident.

Edward Gent was educated at The King's School, Canterbury, and Trinity College, Oxford.

Edward Gent served with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in the First World War in Flanders and Italy.

Edward Gent was wounded twice and was awarded the Military Cross in 1917 and the Distinguished Service Order in 1919.

Edward Gent was the first appointed Governor of the Malayan Union.

Edward Gent was an instrumental figure in the formation of the Malayan Union, which was established on 1 April 1946 in Kuala Lumpur.

Edward Gent remained as the High Commissioner for Malaya when the Malayan Union was dissolved and replaced by the Federation of Malaya.

Edward Gent was sacked by the Colonial Office and recalled to London on 29 June 1948 at the onset of the Malayan Emergency after Malcolm MacDonald, the British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia, lobbied Whitehall.

Edward Gent disbelieved the communists were of any threat and refused to act.

Edward Gent was only forced to widen the declaration to the whole of Malaya the next day when the Straits Times wrote "Govern or Get Out" on its front page, thus galvanising public sentiment against him.

Edward Gent was returning to the United Kingdom in an Avro York transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force when it collided with a Douglas DC-6 of Scandinavian Airlines System near Northwood, north London, a week after he was recalled to London.