John Rawling Todd

John Rawling Todd (15 February 1929 – 18 July 2002) was a British colonial civil servant. He held progressively senior roles in the administration of British Hong Kong, and served as Secretary for Housing from 1986 to 1988. Earlier in his career he was involved in the forced deportation of the Chagossians.

Early life Todd was born on 15 February 1929 to William Rawling Todd and Isabella May Shearer. He was educated at Durham University (Hatfield College), where he was Captain of the Hatfield College Fencing Club in 1949. He completed his national service in the Royal Artillery, and was made 2nd Lieutenant on 14 February 1953, with the appointment gazetted on 24 March 1953.

Career After leaving the military, Todd pursued a career in the Colonial Service and took up his first appointment as an Administrator Officer in the Gambia in 1955. He was assigned to New Hebrides in 1962 and was an Administrator of the British Indian Ocean Territory from 8 November 1965 to 1974.

Chagos Islands In 1971, as Administrator of Diego Garcia, Todd announced to islanders in April of that year that they would all be expelled from their homeland, the island having been leased to the US Military. He was accused by two islanders of ordering their pet dogs to be gassed, although this decision has also been blamed on Bruce Greatbatch. Todd was seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1974.

He subsequently became Deputy Secretary of Lands and then Director of Lands from April 1982 to April 1986. He became Senior British Representative of the Sino-British Land Commission from 1984 to 1988 after the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed. This was a busy period in his career, as the land issue (concerning leasing and property rights) was among the most contentious topics discussed in the negotiations that led to the Joint Declaration. Todd served in the Land Commission alongside John Chan and Registrar-General Noel Gleeson. For his public services, he was appointed CVO in 1972 and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1985. He died at his home in Wiltshire after a short battle with cancer.

Honours