Henry Gurney was a British colonial administrator known for his role in the Malayan Emergency, a conflict that took place in Malaysia from 1948 to 1960. He served as the British High Commissioner to the Federation of Malaya and was instrumental in implementing policies aimed at countering communist insurgency during this period. His leadership focused on both military and social strategies to stabilize the region. Gurney was born in 1898 and had a distinguished career in the British civil service. He was educated at Oxford University and later joined the Malayan Civil Service. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1951 by communist guerrillas, which marked a significant turning point in the Malayan Emergency.