Alan Mais, Baron Mais

Who was Alan Mais, Baron Mais?

Alan Raymond Mais, Baron Mais, GBE, TD, ERD, JP was a British peer and former Lord Mayor of the City of London between 1972 and 1973.

He was born in Southampton, the only child of Captain Ernest Mais, a master mariner and educated at Banister Court School, Hampshire, and later at the College of Estate Management, a part of London University, where he trained as a surveyor. He worked for engineers Richard Costain and Parker Construction before setting up his own consulting practice.

During World War II he was a major with special forces in France, Iran and Iraq. After returning to Britain late in 1943, he became involved in the Mulberry harbour project for the D-Day landings. When construction began off the Normandy coast immediately after D-day Mais, now a lieutenant-colonel, was in charge of constructing the pierheads and floating roadways at the British harbour under Colonel S. K. Gilbert of the Royal Engineers, who commanded the port construction force. He then joined the Canadians in the advance to the Rhine and, promoted full colonel, became deputy chief engineer in Antwerp.

After the war he joined contractors Trollope and Colls, becoming joint managing director and chairman in 1963 and retiring in 1968 when the firm was taken over by Trafalgar House.