Background
Cleminson was born in 1921 in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, to businessman Arnold Cleminson and his wife Dr Florence Stacey-Cleminson, a physician at Victoria Children’s Hospital.
Businessman chairman Soldier chief executive
Cleminson was born in 1921 in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, to businessman Arnold Cleminson and his wife Dr Florence Stacey-Cleminson, a physician at Victoria Children’s Hospital.
Clemison attended Rugby School and was called up for war service in 1940 immediately after leaving.
He subsequently became a chief executive of Colman's and entered the Confederation of British Industry, becoming its president in 1984. He fought in the North African Campaign and was captured, being taken to Italy as a prisoner of war. There he escaped and walked through enemy lines to rejoin his regiment during the Italian Campaign.
He subsequently joined the Parachute Regiment as a captain and participated in the Battle of Arnhem, where his platoon ambushed and killed the German garrison commander Major-General Friedrich Kussin. During the fighting, Cleminson found himself trapped in an attic with Major-General Roy Urquhart, who took exception to Cleminson's moustache, which he called "damned silly". For three days he fought in the village of Oosterbeek, until he was wounded and captured.
In early 1945, Cleminson was freed by American forces, and accompanied Urquhart to Norway at the end of the conflict. On demobilisation in 1946, Cleminson joined his father's firm, which had merged with J. J. Colman to form Reckitt & Colman. The company produced a wide array of household goods, and Cleminson rose rapidly in the food division, known as Colman's, until by 1973 he was chief executive and in 1976 he became chairman.
In 1980 he also took a position with the Confederation of British Industry, which was suffering severely due to the effects of the 1973–75 recession. He remained there until 1986, spending the last two years as president, before retiring from both positions to become chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board. In retirement, Cleminson held a number of chairman and board positions and was particularly active in Norfolk, where he was instrumental in the revitalisation of the Theatre Royal, Norwich.
For his services to business, Cleminson was knighted in 1982 and made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1990. He is buried in the graveyard of Barsham Church in Suffolk.
Fellow: Royal College General Practitioners (honorary). Member: Food Manufacturers Federation (president 1980).
Married Juliet Measor Cleminson, September 8, 1950. 3 children.