Alan Mais, Baron Mais
Encyclopedia
Alan Raymond Mais, Baron Mais, GBE
, TD
, ERD
, JP
(7 July 1911-28 November 1993) was a British peer
and former Lord Mayor of the City of London between 1972 and 1973.
He was born in Southampton, the only child of Captain Ernest Mais, a master mariner and educated at Banister Court School, Hampshire, and later at the College of Estate Management, a part of London University, where he trained as a surveyor. He worked for engineers Richard Costain and Parker Construction before setting up his own consulting practice.
During World War II he was a major with special forces in France, Iran and Iraq. After returning to Britain late in 1943, he became involved in the Mulberry harbour
project for the D-Day landings. When construction began off the Normandy coast immediately after D-day (6 June 1944) Mais, now a lieutenant-colonel, was in charge of constructing the pierheads and floating roadways at the British harbour under Colonel S. K. Gilbert of the Royal Engineers, who commanded the port construction force. He then joined the Canadians in the advance to the Rhine and, promoted full colonel, became deputy chief engineer in Antwerp.
After the war he joined contractors Trollope and Colls, becoming joint managing director and chairman in 1963 and retiring in 1968 when the firm was taken over by Trafalgar House.
He was made a life peer
by Harold Wilson
in 1967 and sat in the House of Lords
on the Labour
, Liberal
and Liberal Democrats
benches.
He became master of the Cutlers' Company and a freeman of the City of London and of the Paviors' Company. He was an alderman in the Walbrook ward from 1963, a sheriff of London in 1969, and Lord Mayor of London
in 1972, the first peer to be elected to that office. He was a lieutenant of the City, a justice of the peace and from 1976 deputy lieutenant of the county of Kent.
In 1936 Mais married Lorna Aline, the daughter of Stanley Aspinall Boardman, a wool merchant of Addiscombe in Surrey, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, ERD
Emergency Reserve Decoration
The Emergency Reserve Decoration is a British military decoration, instituted in 1952. It has a dark blue ribbon, with a yellow central stripe.Recipients may use the letters ERD after their name....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(7 July 1911-28 November 1993) was a British peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and former Lord Mayor of the City of London between 1972 and 1973.
He was born in Southampton, the only child of Captain Ernest Mais, a master mariner and educated at Banister Court School, Hampshire, and later at the College of Estate Management, a part of London University, where he trained as a surveyor. He worked for engineers Richard Costain and Parker Construction before setting up his own consulting practice.
During World War II he was a major with special forces in France, Iran and Iraq. After returning to Britain late in 1943, he became involved in the Mulberry harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
project for the D-Day landings. When construction began off the Normandy coast immediately after D-day (6 June 1944) Mais, now a lieutenant-colonel, was in charge of constructing the pierheads and floating roadways at the British harbour under Colonel S. K. Gilbert of the Royal Engineers, who commanded the port construction force. He then joined the Canadians in the advance to the Rhine and, promoted full colonel, became deputy chief engineer in Antwerp.
After the war he joined contractors Trollope and Colls, becoming joint managing director and chairman in 1963 and retiring in 1968 when the firm was taken over by Trafalgar House.
He was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
by Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
in 1967 and sat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
benches.
He became master of the Cutlers' Company and a freeman of the City of London and of the Paviors' Company. He was an alderman in the Walbrook ward from 1963, a sheriff of London in 1969, and Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1972, the first peer to be elected to that office. He was a lieutenant of the City, a justice of the peace and from 1976 deputy lieutenant of the county of Kent.
In 1936 Mais married Lorna Aline, the daughter of Stanley Aspinall Boardman, a wool merchant of Addiscombe in Surrey, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.