Alastair Down facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colonel
Sir Alastair Frederick Down
|
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|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 23 July 1914 |
| Died | 22 October 2004 (aged 90) |
| Education | Marlborough College, 1932 |
| Spouse(s) |
Maysie Hilda Mellon
(m. 1947) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1935–1945 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Service number | 65170 |
| Unit | Royal Scots Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders British Eighth Army First Canadian Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Colonel Sir Alastair Frederick Down (born July 23, 1914 – died October 22, 2004) was an important Scottish person. He was an army officer, an accountant, and worked in the oil industry. He is most famous for saving a big oil company called Burmah Oil. He was its chairman from 1975 to 1983.
Contents
Sir Alastair Down's Life
Alastair Frederick Down was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, on July 23, 1914. He went to Edinburgh Academy and then Marlborough College. After college, he studied to become an accountant. He qualified in Edinburgh in 1938. That same year, he started working for an oil company, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, in London. He was then sent to Mandatory Palestine for his job.
Military Service in World War II
In 1935, before the war, Down became an officer in the Royal Scots regiment. When World War II started in 1940, he joined the active army. He was sent to Egypt to join the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Because he had five years of experience, he became a senior officer in his group.
In December 1940, Down led a small group of soldiers in the Battle of Sidi Barrani. During this battle, he lost his right eye. He was given the Military Cross for his brave actions. After he got better, he worked for the British Eighth Army in North Africa and Italy. Later, he moved to work with the First Canadian Army in the Netherlands. By the end of the war, he had become a full colonel. He also received special awards, including the Order of the British Empire and a Dutch award, the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Career in the Oil Industry
After the war in 1945, Alastair Down went back to work for the oil company. He worked in Iran until 1947, and then in London until 1954. When the company became British Petroleum in 1954, he was sent to Canada. His job was to start a new part of the company there called BP Canada. He was chosen because of his experience working with the Canadian Army during the war.
From 1957 to 1962, he was the first president of BP Canada. In 1962, Down returned to London and took on several important roles at BP. He was a managing director from 1962 to 1975. From 1969 to 1975, he was also the deputy chairman. He even helped combine BP's American company with another big oil company, Standard Oil of Ohio.
Saving Burmah Oil
In 1975, Down left British Petroleum. He became the chairman of Burmah Oil, another large oil company. At that time, Burmah Oil was in big trouble and almost went bankrupt. Alastair Down worked hard and successfully saved the company. He retired as Burmah's chairman in 1983.
Personal Life and Awards
On October 4, 1947, Alastair Down married Maysie Hilda Mellon. They had four children: Melinda, Richard, Diana, and Nigel. Sir Alastair Down was recognized for his achievements and was made a Knight in 1978. This means he received the title "Sir."
See Also
- List of people from Kirkcaldy
