He was sacked by the Colonial Office and recalled to London on 29 June 1948 at the onset of the Malayan Emergency after Malcolm MacDonald, the British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia, lobbied Whitehall.
In June 1948, he was dismissed by the Colonial Office and sent back to London on June 29th, coinciding with the beginning of the Malayan Emergency. This action was prompted by Malcolm MacDonald, the British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia, who lobbied Whitehall officials.