Richard Allen

Sir Richard Hugh Sedley Allen KCMG (3 February 1903 – 16 January 1996) was a British diplomat who served as ambassador to Burma from 1956 to 1962.

Early life and education Allen was born on 3 February 1903, the son of Sir Hugh Allen GCVO. He was educated at Royal Naval Colleges, Osborne and Dartmouth and New College, Oxford.

Career Allen entered the Foreign Office in 1927 after working for two years as an assistant to the governor of Palestine and was sent to Tokyo as third secretary. He then served at Prague, Berne and Bogatá before he returned to the Foreign Office for the duration of the Second World War. From 1945 to 1950, he served as Counsellor at the British Embassy in Poland.

Allen served as Minister to Argentina from 1950 to 1954; Minister to Guatemala as head of the Legation from 1954 to 1956; and Ambassador to Burma from 1956 to 1962. During his posting in Rangoon he was appointed KCMG, the last British Ambassador to Burma to be knighted.

Publications

Malaysia: Prospect and Retrospect, 1968. A Short Introduction to the History and Politics of Southeast Asia, 1970. Imperialism and Nationalism in the Fertile Crescent, 1974.

Honours Allen was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1953 Coronation Honours, and promoted to Knight Commander (KCMG) in the 1960 New Year Honours.