William Denis Battershill

Sir William Denis Battershill KCMG (29 June 1896 – 11 August 1959) was a British officer and colonial official.

Biography

Battershill, son of William John Battershill, attended King's School in Worcester, founded in 1541. He served in the British Army from 1908 to 1914 in India, and then in Iraq until 1919, rising to the rank of lieutenant. After leaving the army, he pursued a career in the civil service, joining the Ceylon Civil Service (CCS) in 1920.

Career

Battershill began his colonial service as a colonial secretary in Ceylon, serving from 1920 until 1928. He then served in Jamaica as a colonial assistant from 1929 to 1935, and in British Cyprus as the colonial secretary from 1935 to 1937. In 1937, he was appointed Chief Secretary of the British Mandate Government in Palestine.

In 1939, Battershill became Governor of Cyprus, serving until 1941. He is notable for his efforts to redistribute land previously set aside for German settlers during the era of German East Africa to indigenous Africans. As Governor of Tanganyika from 1945 to 1949, he sought to increase African participation in government by increasing voting rights and promoting African representation.

Personal Life

Battershill married Joan Elizabeth, daughter of Major General, in 1924.