Qi Dezun

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 July 2025

Sir John Douglas Clague, CBE, MC, QPM, CPM, TD, JP, also transliterated as *Sir Ki Tak-chun*, was a British Hong Kong soldier, entrepreneur, and politician. He fought against the Japanese during World War II in Asia and received multiple decorations. After the war, he founded Hutchison International and served as its chairman. From 1956 to 1974, he was an unofficial member of both the Legislative and Executive Councils of Hong Kong. Residing in Hong Kong for decades and active in public service, he earned the nickname "Old Hong Kong."

Under Clague’s leadership, Hutchison International was instrumental in the construction of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the founding of Television Broadcasts Ltd. However, the company later fell into financial crisis and was taken over by HSBC, forcing Clague to step down. An avid horse racing enthusiast, he owned many racehorses and was once chairman of the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Biography

Early Life

Clague was born on 13 June 1917 in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), a British colony in Africa. He later returned to the Isle of Man to attend King William's College.

During World War II, Clague served in the Far East as a Royal Artillery officer. In December 1941, during the fall of Hong Kong, he was captured and imprisoned in Sham Shui Po Camp. On 11 April 1942, he escaped with two others, assisted by the East River Column, and reached Free China. His escape was a morale boost to British forces, and he was awarded the Military Cross in 1942 and the OBE in 1943.

He later worked in Huizhou with the British Army Aid Group, maintaining close ties with local resistance fighters. He also served in India, Burma, Thailand, and China. After the war, he retired from the army as a colonel and received a CBE in 1946.

Business Career

Returning to Hong Kong in 1947, Clague joined Hutchison & Co., then a minor British trading house half-owned by Wheelock Marden. He became chairman in 1954. In 1963, he acquired International Investment Ltd. from Wheelock and used it to take over Hutchison by 1965, renaming it Hutchison International Ltd.

Throughout the 1960s, Clague expanded the company aggressively, acquiring Watsons, Gilman & Co., and Taikoo & Co. In 1969, Hutchison acquired a 30% stake in Whampoa Dock through a $72 million share issue. In 1970, Whampoa acquired the godown group Hong Kong & Kowloon Wharf. Hutchison became the largest landowner in Hong Kong, overseeing over 200 companies.

He proposed the Cross-Harbour Tunnel project to the government, which rejected his funding request, so Hutchison funded it privately. In 1967, he co-founded Television Broadcasts Ltd. (TVB) with Sir Run Run Shaw and others, serving as vice chairman. He also chaired Hong Kong Oxygen, was vice chairman of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company, and served on boards of HSBC, Dairy Farm, Hong Kong Textile Mills, Towngas, OOCL, and Ocean Park.

In 1975, Hutchison was severely impacted by overexpansion, the global oil crisis, and Swiss franc appreciation. Its value fell 95% from its 1973 peak. HSBC, which held significant shares, vetoed a rights issue and instead injected $150 million to take a 33.65% stake, forcing Clague out. In 1979, HSBC sold the company to Li Ka-shing’s Cheung Kong Group.

Public Service

Clague was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1952. He chaired the Hong Kong Housing Society from 1952 until his death in 1981 and was Commander of the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Police from 1962 to 1980, earning the QPM and CPM.

He served on the Urban Council (1952–1956), Legislative Council (1956–1960), and Executive Council (1961–1974). In recognition of his service, he was knighted in 1972. Deeply devoted to Hong Kong, he was known for saying, “Loyal to Hong Kong, because it is my home,” and was affectionately nicknamed "Old Hong Kong."

He loved horse racing and served as a Jockey Club steward from 1963, and chairman from 1972 to 1974.

Later Life and Death

Clague died on 11 March 1981 while vacationing in Berkshire, UK, aged 63. The Jockey Club flew flags at half-mast on 14 March and held a mourning race at Sha Tin Racecourse. The government published an obituary in the Gazette on 20 March. His memorial was held at St. John’s Cathedral on 15 April 1981, attended by Governor Lord MacLehose, Sir Jack Cater, Sir Run Run Shaw, Li Ming-tsai, and over 200 others.

On 13 June 1981, the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Police posthumously appointed him Honorary Commander.

Family

Clague was married twice and had one son and two daughters. He owned multiple racehorses, many with the prefix "Man of," including "Man of Light" and "Man of Sound."

Honours

Decorations

Military Cross (1942)
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE, 1943 – military)
Territorial Decoration (T.D.)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE, 1946 – military)
Justice of the Peace (JP, 1952)
Colonial Police Medal (CPM)
Queen’s Police Medal (QPM)
Knight Bachelor (Kt., 1972)
Honorary Commander, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Police (13 June 1981)

Eponymous

**Clague Garden Estate**: A mixed housing development in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, built by the Hong Kong Housing Society in November 1988.
**Clague Cup**: A racing trophy donated by Lady Clague to the Hong Kong Jockey Club in memory of her late husband. Discontinued from the 2007/08 season.

References

Fung Bong-yin, *British Conglomerates in Hong Kong*, Sanlian Book Co., ISBN 978-962-04-1335-3.
Various Hong Kong newspaper reports, March–April 1981
Hutchison Whampoa official website, “Milestones”
Kevin Sinclair (ed.), *Who's Who in Hong Kong*, 1979
Luigi Ribeiro, "A Remembrance Day reminder from ex-PoWs," *South China Morning Post*, 6 Nov 1981
*Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force Annual Report 2001*

External Links

List of Honorary Auxiliary Officers
Anti-Japanese intelligence operations (Xinhua Archive)