Sir (James) Angus Gillan (1885-1981) KBE (1939), CMG (1935) was educated at Edinburgh Academy and Magdalen College, Oxford, entering the Sudan Political Service in 1909. He was Inspector at el Obeid and Nakud (Kordofan Province), 1910-1916. He became Assistant Political and Intelligence Officer, Sudan Western Frontier Force, 1916, during the campaign against Ali Dinar in Dar Fur. He served as Deputy and Acting Governor of the Nuba Mountains Province, 1921-1928, Governor of Kordofan Province, 1928-1932, Assistant Civil Secretary, 1932-1934, and Civil Secretary, from 1934, retiring in 1939.

He served as Principal Officer, North Midland Civil Defence Region, Nottingham, 1940-1941, Controller, Commonwealth and Empire Division, British Council, 1941-1949 and British Council Representative in Australia, 1949-1951.

He was a fellow, King's College, University of London (Treasurer, 1955-1970), and President at various times of the Royal Over-Seas League, Conservative Commonwealth Council, Sudan Government British Pensioners' Association, Anglo-Sudanese Association, etc.. He was awarded the Order of the Nile, 2nd Class, 1935. In 1917 he married Margaret Douglas Ord-Mackenzie, with whom he had one son.