Miles Thomas

William Miles Webster Thomas, Baron Thomas – 8 February 1980), known as Sir Miles Thomas' from 1943–1971, was a Welsh businessman. He was Managing Director of the Morris Motors, 1940–1947, Chairman of the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC, later to become British Airways), 1949–1956, Chairman of the merger broker Chesham Amalgamations, and President and Chairman of the National Savings Committee.

Early life He was born in 1897 in Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, Wales, the son of a property owner who died the following year. He went to Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire, England.

War service 1914-18 After school, during which time his major interests were engineering and transport, in World War I, he joined an Armoured Car Squadron. After fighting through the German East African Campaign, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps qualifying for his wings in Egypt. He subsequently served with an operational squadron in Mesopotamia, Persia and south Russia, being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for aerial combat and low ground strafing.

Post war After the First World War, he became a journalist working initially at Hiffe and Temple Press, working on The Motor magazine. He was later promoted to editor of Light Car'' magazine.

On one assignment, he conducted a press interview with William Morris (later Lord Nuffield), and Morris was so impressed with his 'clarity of thought' that he offered Thomas employment. Soon, Thomas was in de facto charge of sales and purchasing at Morris Motors, where he came up with the idea of producing a magazine for owners and dealers, in order to bring about brand loyalty.

Thomas left Morris Motors in 1947 to take up a post as deputy Chairman at the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), The company had just opened a new UK Head Office at Monsanto House (the name signs now covered over), 10-18 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0NB and had acquired a large chemical plant in Cefn Mawr, Thomas' birthplace. HRH Prince Philip opened the building and a plaque still remains on the ground floor on what has been occupied by the Board of Trade partially since the late 1960s and wholly since Monsanto relocated its UK offices to Basingstoke in the late 1970s. He later took other board appointments including Britannia Airways.

In 1960, he became President of the National Farmers' Union.

Personal life On 2 June 1924 he married Hylda Church, who had been William Morris's secretary. They had a daughter, Sheila, (1925-2019), and a son, Michael (1926).