John Elliot (railway manager)

For other people with the same name, see John Elliot (disambiguation).

Sir John Elliot (6 May 1898 – 18 September 1988) was a British transport and railway manager. Born John Elliot Blumenfeld, he was the son of the Daily Mail news editor R. D. Blumenfeld (who later became managing editor of the Daily Express.) He changed his name to John Elliot in March 1923.[1]

After a short period as regular army officer in the 3rd The King's Own Hussars,[2] he joined the Southern Railway in 1925 as a public relations assistant, reporting to the General Manager, and continued in various posts with the company until it was nationalised, with the rest of the railway system, into British Railways in 1947. He continued to work for the nationalised company, rising to Chairman of the Railway Executive, until he was appointed as Chairman of London Transport in 1953, a post he held until 1959. He was Chairman of Thomas Cook & Son Ltd from 1959 until 1967. He received a knighthood in the 1954 New Years honours list.[3]

In October 1937 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps,[4] and was promoted to full Colonel in May 1951.[5] He commanded the unit from January 1956[6] until he was retired due to his age on 7 May 1963.[7] He resigned his commission in December 1973.[8]

John Elliot's autobiography, On And Off The Rails, was published by George Allen & Unwin in 1982.

References

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 32804. p. 1954. 9 March 1923. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31887. p. 5190. 4 May 1920. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40053. p. 2. 29 December 1953. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 34461. p. 7660. 7 December 1937. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39306. p. 4259. 7 August 1951. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40700. p. 680. 31 January 1956. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43048. p. 5812. 5 July 1963. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46259. p. 4600. 8 April 1974. Retrieved 1 June 2009.

Further reading

Business positions
Preceded by
Eustace Missenden
as General Manager		 Acting General Manager,
Southern Railway
1947 		Company nationalised
Preceded by
Eustace Missenden		 Chairman,
Railway Executive
1951–1953 		Railway Executive abolished
Preceded by
Lord Latham		 Chairman,
London Transport Executive
1953–1959 		Succeeded by
Sir Alexander Valentine
Military offices
Preceded by
Col. V. A. M. Robertson		 Officer Commanding,
Engineer and Railway Staff Corps
January 1956 – May 1963 		Succeeded by
Col. Alexander Valentine
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