Edwin Plowden

Who was Edwin Plowden?

Sir Edwin Noel Auguste Plowden, Baron Plowden, KCB, KBE, was a British industrialist and public servant in the Treasury.

Before World War II, Plowden joined C Tennant Sons & Co, commodity dealers. As he spoke French and German and knew the European mainland well, he was put in charge of selling Palestine potash, in competition with the European potash cartel; he did so to such effect that his firm, as it had hoped, was invited to join the cartel.

During the war he served in the Ministry of Economic Warfare, and later joined the Ministry of Aircraft Production, in which he remained until 1946. During 1945-46 he was chief executive in succession to Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman.

He was given the title of Baron Plowden of Plowden in the county of Shropshire on 17 February 1959. He chaired the Select Committee on the European Communities of the Lords in session 1979-80.