Hamilton Whyte

Hamilton Whyte
British High Commissioner to Nigeria
In office 1983–1984
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Mervyn Brown
Succeeded by	Martin Ewans
British High Commissioner to Singapore
In office 1985–1987
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Peter Moon
Succeeded by	Michael Pike
Personal details
Born	(1927-05-28)28 May 1927
Died	20 July 1990(1990-07-20) (aged 63)

(William Erskine) Hamilton Whyte KCMG[1] (28 May 1927 - 20 July 1990) was a British former diplomat[2] who was most notable for being the High Commissioner to Nigeria during the Dikko affair.[3]

Education

Whyte was educated at King's School, Bruton; and Queens' College, Cambridge.[4]

Career

After wartime service in the Royal Navy he joined the War Office and then, in 1952, the Diplomatic Service. Whyte served in Vienna, Bangkok, New York and Kinshasa. He was Director-General of British Information Services; and then Head of the News Department at the Foreign Office from 1976 to 1979. He was Minister (Economic and Social Affairs) for the UK Mission to the UN from 1979 to 1981;[5] Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN from 1981 to 1983; High Commissioner in Nigeria and Ambassador (non-resident) to Benin from 1983 to84; and High Commissioner in Singapore from 1985 to 1987.[6][7]

References

1. "The Queen's Birthday Honours". The Times. No. 62, 165. London. 15 June 1985. p. 4.
2. "C.M.G." The London Gazette. No. 48769. 15 July 1979. To be Ordinary Members of the Third Class, or Companions of the said Most Distinguished Order: William Erskine Hamilton WHYTE, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
3. Wiles, Andrew (1995). "The Dikko Affair and Anglo-Nigerian Relations". International and Comparative Law Quarterly . 34 (3): 602–609. JSTOR 759313.
4. [Anon.] (2024). "Somebody, Leslie". Who's Who. A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U170383. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
5. "Whyte, W.E. Hamilton; United Kingdom". United Nations Digital Library. United Nations. 22 July 1980. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
6. "British High Commissioner Sir Hamilton Whyte and Lady Sheila Whyte paying farewell visit to President Wee Kim Wee and Mrs Wee at the Instana". National Archives of Singapore. Singapore Government. 25 May 1987. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
7. "Sir Hamilton Whyte, British Diplomat, 63". The New York Times. 24 July 1990. Retrieved 16 May 2024.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Mervyn Brown	British High Commissioner to Nigeria 1983–1984	Succeeded by Martin Ewans
Preceded by Peter Moon	British High Commissioner to Singapore 1985–1987	Succeeded by Michael Pike