Ernest Lemon
Sir Ernest Lemon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 December 1884 |
| Died | 15 December 1954 (aged 70) Epsom, Surrey, United Kingdom |
| Education | Heriot-Watt College |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Mechanical |
| Institutions | Institution of Mechanical Engineers |
Sir Ernest John Hutchings Lemon, OBE (9 December 1884 – 15 December 1954) was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and later one of its three Vice-Presidents. During the run-up to the Second World War Lemon was made Director-General of Aircraft Production and made crucial improvements to aircraft production.
Biography
Lemon was educated at Heriot-Watt College. He served an apprenticeship with the North British Locomotive Company and then worked for the Highland Railway and for Hurst Nelson.
In 1911 Lemon became Chief Wagon Inspector of the Midland Railway in England. In 1917 he was made Carriage Works Manager at Derby. In 1923 he was appointed Divisional Carriage and Wagon Superintendent at Derby. There he developed production line methods for the construction of wagons and carriages.
Despite having little experience in locomotive engineering, in 1931 Lemon was appointed to the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer replacing the retiring Henry Fowler. After less than a year as CME however, Lemon was again promoted to Vice-President Railway Traffic, Operating and Commercial, replacing J.H. Follows who retired due to ill health. Under his Vice-Presidency, the LMS undertook modernisation of their motive power depots. William Stanier had been head-hunted from the Great Western Railway to replace him as CME and revolutionised the LMS's locomotive policy.
He was a member of the Engineer and Railway Staff Corps — a Territorial Army unit of the Royal Engineers; he joined as a Major in November 1929,[1] and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in April 1932.[2] He resigned his commission in August 1943.[3]
During the Second World War Lemon was made Director-General of Aircraft Production and received a knighthood in the 1941 New Year’s Honours list.[4] He retired from the railway in 1943 and died in Epsom in 1954.
References
- ^ "No. 33555". The London Gazette. 26 November 1929.
- ^ "No. 33819". The London Gazette. 22 April 1932.
- ^ "No. 36121". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 3 August 1943. - ^ "No. 35029". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 1 January 1941.
Further reading
- Terry Jenkins, Sir Ernest Lemon, RCHS Books, 4 Broadway, Lincoln LN2, 1SH (2011). ISBN 978-0-901461-58-2.
External links
- Use dmy dates from April 2012
- 1884 births
- 1954 deaths
- Alumni of Heriot-Watt University
- British mechanical engineers
- British railway mechanical engineers
- Locomotive builders and designers
- London, Midland and Scottish Railway people
- Engineer and Railway Staff Corps officers
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Knights Bachelor