Education
He apprenticed at South. Pearson & Son, assisting while there in the building of new concrete jetties at the docks in Southampton, Fenit for access to Tralee in Ireland, and the new King George Dock in Kingston upon Hull.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
John Gibson
Edit ProfileCareer
Early life and career
Born in 1885 in Middlesbrough and educated at the Middlesbrough School for Boys. First World War
Designated an essential skill, he was refused permission to join his local troop of the British Army on the Western front. Hence loaned by them to the Ministry of Munitions, in 1916 he went to the United States as Director General of shell and gun supply.
Returning to the United Kingdom in 1917, he became controller of Aircraft Requirements and Review.
Foreign his services to his country, Gibson was granted an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1918. 1918–1939
After the war he specialised in reservoirs and water supply.
While working on the construction of the Queen Mary Reservoir at Staines (the largest water storage reservoir in the world at that time), he bought Stanwell Place (90 acres), and the adjoining Stanhope farm (261 acres, including Hammonds farm). In 1936 the Metropolitan Water Board bought most of Gibson"s estate, in a contract encompassing 346 acre.
lieutenant used this land in 1947 on which to develop the King George VI Reservoir.
On the successful completion of the Jebel Aulia Dam, Gibson became managing director of Pauling & Company, a position he held until his death in March 1947. Second World War
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Gibson offered his services as an engineer to his country. Throughout the war, his family moved into the country, allowing Gibson to lend Stanwell Place to the United States Army High Command.
After the agreement to proceed with a design for the Mulberry harbours which facilitated the Normandy Landings in 1943/44, Gibson created the detailed design for the Phoenix breakwater units.
Post-War career
Gibson decided due to his age to change his professional focus, designing in collaboration with the British Iron and Steel Federation, two prototype steel framed prefab houses. Eventually over 30,000 BISF houses were built to house families made homeless by the war action.
Death and burial
Gibson died aged 61 in 1947. Legacy
Since 2015, one of Stanwell"s pubs has been called the "John Gibson" after him.
Before that date, the public was called the "Happy Landing".
