Sir Franklin Gimson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Governor of Singapore | |
| In office 1 April 1946 – 15 November 1952 | |
| Monarchs | George VI Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | John Fearns Nicoll |
| Acting Governor of Hong Kong | |
| In office 28 August 1945 – 30 August 1945 | |
| Monarch | George VI |
| Preceded by | Hisakazu Tanaka |
| Succeeded by | Cecil Harcourt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Franklin Charles Gimson 10 September 1890 Barrow-on-Soar, Leicestershire, England |
| Died | 13 February 1975 (aged 84) Pickering, North Yorkshire, England |
Sir Franklin Charles Gimson KCMG KStJ (10 September 1890 – 13 February 1975) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Singapore from 1946 to 1952.
Gimson assumed the post of the Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong in December 1941. However, his appointment was interrupted by the Battle of Hong Kong. He became a prisoner of war when then Governor Sir Mark Young surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army on Christmas Day 1941. After spending more than three years in Stanley Internment Camp as an internee, Gimson was freed in August 1945, upon the Liberation of Hong Kong. He formed a short-lived provisional government and briefly declared himself "acting governor", but this administration was soon replaced when Rear Admiral Cecil Harcourt established the military government following in September.
Gimson was the first Governor of Singapore from 1946 to 1952 and reinstalled the civil administration in Singapore. During his governorship, he witnessed the establishment of the legislative council and the executive council in 1947. His governorship was also marked by the increasingly unstable political situation which was provoked by the Malayan Emergency, and the controversial legislation of the Internal Security Act.