Military career Following the outbreak of the
World War II, Meadows enlisted in the
Royal Lincolnshire Regiment. On 10 July 1941, Meadows received an emergency commission to become a
second lieutenant, and he was posted to the
British India Army. Meadows served in the 8th Battalion of the
12th Frontier Force Regiment, stationed in the
North-West Frontier Province. Later on, Meadows went to
Karachi for intelligence training, and obtained a pilot's licence in a
de Havilland DH.60 Moth. In 1943, Meadows became a brigade intelligence officer in the
74th Indian Infantry Brigade, stationed in the
Arakan Division. Meadows was responsible for establishing a patrol and ambush base six miles down the
Naf River, south of
Maungdaw. More than 120 Japanese soldiers were killed, after Meadows personally led small teams into Japanese territory to conduct ambushes. On 15 November 1944, in view of his conduct, Meadows was nominated by his commanding officer for a
Military Cross.
Civil career In 1947, Meadows joined the
Colonial Administrative Service as an administrative officer. He was posted to
North Borneo. In 1952, Meadows was promoted to commissioner for labour in
Kelantan,
Terengganu and
Pahang. In January 1953, Meadows was appointed as the deputy secretary for the social welfare department under the
Ministry of Labour. In April 1953, Meadows stated that young girls were still being used as lures in opium dens to attract new addicts, and believed if a new investigation was conducted, fresh evidence may be uncovered to support the statement. In August 1953, Meadows announced that the anti-vice section under his department conducted 75 raids in the previous month on hotels and other places. As such, the number of prostitutes operating in Singapore decreased, and Meadows added that they have shifted their operations to
Johore Bahru. However, an official from Johore Bahru refuted his statement, and said there have been no noticeable increase of prostitutes in the city. In 1957, Meadows was appointed as the chairman of the Singapore Rural Board. In November 1957, he suggested to the
Marine Police that they should not take any action against islanders who use their own fishing boats to carry belongings and passengers, given that there is no public transport to offshore islands. Meadows also asked the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to amend the port rules to allow islanders of the
Southern Islands to carry passengers on their fishing boats, since the islanders had no other form of transport. In September 1959, the Singapore Rural Board was absorbed by the
Ministry of National Development, and as such in November 1959, Meadows was transferred to the
Prime Minister's Office. In 1960, Meadows was formally appointed as the secretary for special duties to Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew. Meadows retired from the civil service in 1962.
Later career In August 1964, Meadows joined the board of
Pan-Electric Industries. On 1 March 1967, after
Tan Kia Gan was fired, Meadows took over as chairman of the
Singapore Tourist Promotion Board. In December 1968, Meadows announced a plan to convert
Pulau Tekukor into a tourist island resort within 18 months. However, the plan was shelved. In January 1969, Meadows disclosed a plan to develop
Pulau Blakang Mati into a tourist island. On 28 February 1969, Meadows stepped down as chairman, and he was succeeded by
Runme Shaw. In 1971, Meadows was the chairman of the National Bank in
Brunei. In 1973, he was also appointed as the executive chairman of Far East–
Levingston Shipbuilding (FELS), and later managing director on 1 October 1974. On 31 July 1980, Meadows retired.
George Bogaars was elected as the new chairman of FELS, and Low Wing Siew as managing director. == Personal life ==