Miles Thomas
Encyclopedia
Miles Webster Thomas, Baron Thomas, Lord Thomas of Remenham
, known as Sir Miles Thomas, or Lord Thomas, DFC
(2 March 1897 – 8 February 1980) was Managing Director of the Morris Motor Company
, 1940–1947, Chairman of the British Overseas Airways Corporation
(BOAC, later to become a constituent part of British Airways
), 1949–1956, Chairman of the merger broker
Chesham Amalgamations
, and President and Chairman of the National Savings
Committee.
, Denbighshire
, Wales
, the son of a property owner who died the following year. He went to Bromsgrove School
in Worcestershire
, England.
, he joined an Armoured Car Squadron. After fighting through the German East African Campaign
, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
qualifying for his wings in Egypt
. He subsequently served with an operational squadron in Mesopotamia
, Persia and south Russia
, being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
for aerial combat and low ground strafing
.
and in 1941, became Chairman of the Cruiser Tank Production Group and a member of the Government's Advisory Committee. He was knighted in 1943.
In 1956 he resigned the chairmanship of BOAC after a row with Harold Watkinson then Minister of Transport and Thomas was elected as chairman of the board of Monsanto Chemical Ltd
. The company had just opened a new UK Head Office at Monsanto House (the name signs now covered over), 10-18 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0NB and had acquired a large chemical plant in Cefn Mawr, Thomas' birthplace. HRH Prince Phillip opened the building and a plaque still remains on the ground floor on what has been occupied by the Board of Trade
partially since the late 1960s and wholly since Monsanto relocated its UK offices to Basingstoke
in the late 1970s. He later took other board appointments including Britannia Airways
.
His autobiography was published in 1964. He was chairman of BOAC at the time of the de Havilland Comet
crashes of 1954.
On 29 January 1971, Thomas received a life peerage as Baron Thomas, of Remenham, in the Royal County of Berkshire
.
Remenham
Remenham is a village and civil parish on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames near Henley-on-Thames in southern England.-Rowing:The parish covers the starting point of the Henley Royal Regatta course. Remenham Club is a private members club for rowers, with a good view of the river halfway along...
, known as Sir Miles Thomas, or Lord Thomas, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(2 March 1897 – 8 February 1980) was Managing Director of the Morris Motor Company
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
, 1940–1947, Chairman of the British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
(BOAC, later to become a constituent part of British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
), 1949–1956, Chairman of the merger broker
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
Chesham Amalgamations
Chesham Amalgamations
Chesham Amalgamations is the trading name of Chesham Amalgamations & Investments Limited, a pioneering mergers and acquisitions broking company based in the UK...
, and President and Chairman of the National Savings
National Savings and Investments
National Savings and Investments , formerly called the Post Office Savings Bank and National Savings, is a state-owned savings bank in the United Kingdom. It is an executive agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer...
Committee.
Early life
He was born in 1897 at Cefn MawrCefn Mawr
Cefn Mawr is a large village in the community of Cefn within the County Borough of Wrexham, Wales. Its name translates as "great ridge".The community of Cefn comprises the villages of Cefn Mawr, Cefn-bychan , Acrefair, Penybryn, Newbridge, Plasmadoc and Rhosymedre and is situated on the northern...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the son of a property owner who died the following year. He went to Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School, founded in 1553, is a co-educational independent school in the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove, England. The school has a long history and many notable former pupils.-History:...
in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England.
War service 1914-18
After school, during which time his major interests were engineering and transport, in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he joined an Armoured Car Squadron. After fighting through the German East African Campaign
East African Campaign (World War I)
The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa and ultimately affected portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The campaign was effectively ended in November 1917...
, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
qualifying for his wings in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. He subsequently served with an operational squadron in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
, Persia and south Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
for aerial combat and low ground strafing
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
.
Post war
After the First World War, he became associated with William Morris, Lord NuffieldWilliam Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield
William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield GBE, CH , known as Sir William Morris, Bt, between 1929 and 1934 and as The Lord Nuffield between 1934 and 1938, was a British motor manufacturer and philanthropist...
and in 1941, became Chairman of the Cruiser Tank Production Group and a member of the Government's Advisory Committee. He was knighted in 1943.
In 1956 he resigned the chairmanship of BOAC after a row with Harold Watkinson then Minister of Transport and Thomas was elected as chairman of the board of Monsanto Chemical Ltd
Monsanto
The Monsanto Company is a US-based multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed in the "Roundup" brand of herbicides, and in other brands...
. The company had just opened a new UK Head Office at Monsanto House (the name signs now covered over), 10-18 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0NB and had acquired a large chemical plant in Cefn Mawr, Thomas' birthplace. HRH Prince Phillip opened the building and a plaque still remains on the ground floor on what has been occupied by the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
partially since the late 1960s and wholly since Monsanto relocated its UK offices to Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
in the late 1970s. He later took other board appointments including Britannia Airways
Britannia Airways
Britannia Airways was the largest charter airline in the United Kingdom, rebranded as Thomsonfly in 2005. Its main bases were Gatwick, London Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow...
.
His autobiography was published in 1964. He was chairman of BOAC at the time of the de Havilland Comet
De Havilland Comet
The de Havilland DH 106 Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production. Developed and manufactured by de Havilland at the Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom headquarters, it first flew in 1949 and was a landmark in aeronautical design...
crashes of 1954.
On 29 January 1971, Thomas received a life peerage as Baron Thomas, of Remenham, in the Royal County of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.