Alan Garrett Anderson
Sir Alan Garrett Anderson (1877-1952), director of the Midland Railway and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
1952 Obituary [1]
We record with regret the death, which occurred in London on Sunday last, May 4th, of Sir Alan Garrett Anderson, of Notgrove Manor, Gloucestershire. Throughout his long business career Sir Alan was well known to many engineers, particularly those concerned with shipping and railways.
Sir Alan, who was born in 1877, was the son of Mr. J. G. Skelton Anderson and Dr. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford, and subsequently joined his father's firm, Anderson, Green and Co., Ltd., managers of the Orient Line.
In 1911 Sir Alan was elected a director of the Midland Railway Company, and when later on the grouping of the railways was effected, he served on the board of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company.
In the first world war Sir Alan was called upon for many services connected with shipping and during the last year of that war was Controller at the Admiralty.
In 1918 he became a director of the Bank of England, and in the years following occupied a number of important offices, among them being president of the Chamber of Shipping, president of the Institute of Marine Engineers, president of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, and president of the International Chamber of Commerce. Sir Alan was also a director of the P. and 0. and British India Companies and of the Suez Canal Company.
During the second world war his expert knowledge of transport matters was again readily available to the country, and from 1941 to 1945 he rendered distinguished service as Controller of Railways and chairman of the Railway Executive.
Sir Alan's interests were many. He gave valuable help to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital and to the work of King Edward's Hospital Fund. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of the City of London, a member of the Fishmongers' Company, and, for some years, a governor of Eton College.
Sir Alan was created K.B.E. in 1917 and G.B.E. in 1934.