▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁Ass istant ▁Ad vis er ▁( K ed ah ▁and ▁Tr eng gan u ) ▁and ▁Super int endent ▁of ▁Pr ison ▁of ▁K ed ah . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁Under ▁Secretary ▁in ▁Stra its ▁S ett lement ▁and ▁First ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary . ▁ ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁McK er ron ▁was ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁Man power ▁Bureau ▁for ▁volunt ary ▁service ▁for ▁Mal aya . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁appeal ▁for ▁British ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁en roll ▁in ▁the ▁volunte er ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁of ▁emer gency ▁( Second ▁World ▁War ). ▁The ▁objective ▁of ▁the ▁registration ▁is ▁avoid ▁the ▁trag ic ▁mistakes ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁when ▁thousands ▁of ▁men ▁en list ed ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁who ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁of ▁far ▁greater ▁value ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁their ▁civil ▁posts . ▁By ▁mid - A pril , ▁about ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁British ▁Europe ans ▁en rolled ▁for ▁the ▁volunt ary ▁service . ▁McK er ron ▁was ▁later ▁appointed ▁as ▁Press ▁C ensor ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁McK er ron ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ad vis ory ▁Committee ▁on ▁the ▁formation ▁and ▁organisation ▁of ▁Def ence ▁Corps ▁in ▁Singapore . ▁This ▁was ▁partly ▁due ▁to ▁McK er ron ▁was ▁an ▁army