John Watson Gibson

Sir John Watson Gibson was an English civil engineer, key in developing the water supply infrastructure in the former British Empire, and instrumental in the design of Mulberry Harbour used in the Normandy landings.

Early life and career

Born John Watson Gibson in 1885 in Middlesbrough, he started his career assisting in the building of new concrete jetties at Southampton, Tralee in Ireland, and the new King George Dock in Hull

World War One

Designated an essential skill, he was refused permission to join his local troop of the British Army on the the Western front. Hence loaned by them to the Ministry of Munitions, in 1916 he went to the USA as Director General of shell and gun supply. Returning to the UK in 1917, he became controller of Aircraft Requirements and Review. For his services to his country, Gibson was granted an OBE in 1918.

After the war he specialised in reservoirs and water supply. While working on the construction of the Queen Mary Reservoir at Staines (the largest water storage reservoir in the world at that time), he bought Stanwell Place.

Following the Sennar Dam he worked on the Gebel Aulia Dam on the White Nile, which was the largest dam in the world at that time. At the outbreak of the second world war Gibson again offered his services to his country. By this time he had bought Stanwell Place (now demolished) which he lent to the American High Command. It was used as the venue for two high level meetings of the Supreme Allied Command held in late June and the middle of July 1944. Henry Stimson, George Marshall, General Eisenhower and Admiral King were among those present at Stanwell House.

Following the war he designed, in collaboration with the British Iron and Steel Federation, two prototype steel framed prefab houses and over 30,000 were built to house families made homeless by the war action – many were built in Spelthorne and still survive.

He died in 1947 at the young age of 61. His grave contains the remains of his wife Lady Lillian Gibson.’

Sir John Watson Gibson

Input1

Agree

(Please refer to comments received on consultation with owners/occupiers under Appendix B, point 3.)

RECOMMEND The burial monument be included with the following description ‘A rectangular dressed stone plinth surmounted by a smaller rectangular table stone with a pictorial relief tablet in stone on each face depicting some of the engineering achievements of Sir John Gibson 1885 - 1947. The memorial is important both in architectural terms and for the history it commentates. The tablets depict the construction of the ‘Phoenix’ breakwater units for the Mulberry harbours which facilitated the Normandy Landings in 1943/44; and that of the Sennar Dam for the Government of Sudan, whereby the Blue Nile was harnessed for irrigation purposes.

Input2

In 1931 Stanhope farm (261 a.), and in 1933 Stanwell Place (90 a.), were sold to J. W. Gibson. (fn. 41) By 1937 all the Gibbons property in the parish had been sold; 346 acres, including Hammonds farm, were purchased by the Metropolitan Water Board in 1936, while most of the remainder went in a number of small parcels. (fn. 42) In 1948 Sir John Gibson (knighted 1945) sold Stanwell Place with 22 acres to the King of Iraq, to whom it still belonged in 1956. (fn. 43) Sir John Gibson's sons then still owned about 17 acres of Stanhope farm. (fn. 44)

Input3

These prefabricated tin houses were another invention of Sir John Gibson that were built by Prisoners of War in the 40’s and 50’s. His son Hugh Gibson lived in one of the houses. They were only meant to be temporary accommodation lasting 10-12 years, but 60 years on they are still standing with up to 3 generations of families having lived in some. Today the houses are being redeveloped by A2Dominion as part of the Stanwell New Start regeneration scheme.

References

Grave of Sir John Gibson, Stanwell Cemetery, Stanwell – has the African dam on one side of which he used to be the Chief Engineer. He was instrumental in the design of Mulberry Harbour used in the Normandy landings.