John Elliot

Who was John Elliot?

Sir John Elliot was a British transport and railway manager. Born John Elliot Blumenfeld, he was the son of the Daily Mail news editor R. D. Blumenfeld He changed his name to John Elliot in March 1923.

After a short period as regular army officer in the 3rd The King's Own Hussars, he joined the Southern Railway in 1925 as a public relations assistant, reporting to the General Manager, and continued in various posts with the company until it was nationalised, with the rest of the railway system, into British Railways in 1947. He continued to work for the nationalised company, rising to Chairman of the Railway Executive, until he was appointed as Chairman of London Transport in 1953, a post he held until 1959. He was Chairman of Thomas Cook & Son Ltd from 1959 until 1967. He received a knighthood in the 1954 New Years honours list.

In October 1937 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps, and was promoted to full Colonel in May 1951. He commanded the unit from January 1956 until he was retired due to his age on 7 May 1963. He resigned his commission in December 1973.