Sir Giles Connop McEachern Guthrie, 2nd Baronet, (21 March 1916 – 31 December 1979) was an English aviator, merchant banker and later, an airline industry executive, serving as the chairman and chief executive of the state owned airline
British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state-owned airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II. After the passi ...
(BOAC).
Early life
Giles Guthrie was born in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, London on 21 March 1916.
His father was
Connop Thirlwall Robert Guthrie, a merchant banker and public servant, and his mother was Eila Mary Guthrie (née McEacharn), eldest daughter of
Sir Malcolm McEacharn, an Australian shipping magnate and former
Mayor of Melbourne
This is a list of the mayors and lord mayors of the City of Melbourne, a Local government in Australia, local government area of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia.
Mayors (1842–1902)
Lord mayors (1902–1980)
The title of "Lord ...
.
He was educated at
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
and at
Magdalene College
Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...
, Cambridge.
His father, Connop, had served as an officer during the early stages of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
but following injury, managed the American operations of the
Ministry of Shipping. He took up business roles after the war, directing City General Trust before purchasing North Central Wagon Company in a joint venture with
Prudential Assurance
Prudential plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It was founded in London in May 1848 to provide loans to professional and working people.
Prudential has dual primary listings on the London Stock E ...
in 1928. He served as North Central Wagon Company's chairman from 1928 to 1939.
Connop was appointed Knight Commander of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(KBE) in the
1918 New Year Honours
The 1918 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the British Empire. The appointments were published in ''The London Gazette'' and ''The Times'' in Ja ...
for his war service with the Ministry of Shipping, and the Guthrie baronetcy was created for Connop in the
1936 New Year Honours
The 1936 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were announced on 31 December 1935.
The recipients of honour ...
.
Flying career
Guthrie learned to fly on the
de Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...
whilst a student at
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
aged 16, and was awarded his
Private pilot licence
A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately (not for remuneration). The licence requirements are dete ...
on turning 17.
He continued flying whilst at Cambridge, taking ownership of a
Percival Vega Gull
The Percival Vega Gull was a 1930s British, four-seater touring aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited. It was a single-engine, low-wing (Folding), wood-and-fabric monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage.
Design and development
B ...
, an aircraft he flew extensively in 1936 and 1937, competing in several competitions as a co-pilot to Charles Gardner. Their partnership culminated in their victory in the 1936
King's Cup Race
The King's Cup air race is a British handicapped cross-country event, which has taken place annually since 1922. It is run by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association.
The King's Cup is one of the most prestigious prizes of the ...
.
C. W. A. Scott
Flight Lieutenant Charles William Anderson Scott, AFC (13 February 1903 – 15 April 1946Dunnell ''Aeroplane'', November 2019, p. 46.) was an English aviator. He won the MacRobertson Air Race, a race from London to Melbourne, in 1934, in a tim ...
and Giles Guthrie (as co-pilot) won
The Schlesinger African Air Race
The Schlesinger Race, also known as the ''"Rand Race"'', the ''"Portsmouth – Johannesburg Race"'' or more commonly the 'African Air Race', took place in September 1936. The Royal Aero Club announced the race on behalf of Isidore William Sch ...
(a race between Portsmouth and Johannesburg) in 1936, flying Guthrie's Vega Gull.
The Guthrie Wing of
King's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is a major teaching hospital and major trauma centre in Denmark Hill, Camberwell in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH". It is managed by K ...
was named in his honour to commemorate their victory.
Guthrie replaced his Vega Gull with the
Percival Mew Gull
The Percival Mew Gull was a British racing aircraft of the 1930s. It was a small, single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane of wooden construction, normally powered by a six-cylinder de Havilland Gipsy Six piston engine. During its racing ...
, a dedicated racing aircraft, in 1937, and in the same year, he was awarded his
commercial pilot license A commercial pilot licence (CPL) is a type of pilot licence that permits the holder to act as a pilot of an aircraft and be paid for their work.
Different licenses are issued for the major aircraft categories: airplanes, airships, balloons, glid ...
. Gardner and Guthrie retained the King's Cup Race in 1937, having flown the Mew Gull.
He piloted the Mew Gull himself in 1938, coming second to future
Supermarine
Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that is most famous for producing the Supermarine Spitfire, Spitfire fighter plane during World War II as well as a range of seaplanes and flying boats, and a series of Jet engine, jet-powered figh ...
Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...
test pilot
Alex Henshaw
Alexander Adolphus Dumphries Henshaw, (7 November 1912 – 24 February 2007) was a British air racer in the 1930s and a test pilot for Vickers Armstrong during the Second World War.
Early life
Henshaw was born in Peterborough, the eldest son of ...
, who was also flying a Percival Mew Gull. They both completed the course at an average speed well in excess of , Henshaw at and Guthrie at .
He went to work for
British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...
, where he held a number of roles in the traffic and commercial departments.
His fluency in French and German meant he was stationed in Paris, Berlin and finally Warsaw, with his posting there lasting until 29 August 1939, two days before the German invasion of Poland and four days before the formal declaration of war between the United Kingdom and Germany.
World War II
World War II would see Guthrie serve as a pilot with the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
. He trained at HMS ''Raven'' (
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a town in Hampshire, England, between Southampton and Winchester. It is the largest town and the administrative seat of the Borough of Eastleigh, with a population of 24,011 at the 2011 census.
The town lies on the River Itchen, o ...
) before joining
808 Naval Air Squadron
808 Naval Air Squadron is a ship-based helicopter squadron of the Royal Australian Navy.
The squadron was originally part of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm; it was formed in July 1940 as a fleet fighter squadron. It served on a number ...
.
His first posting with 808 Naval Air Squadron was on dockyard and
Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern end in June 2009
Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay and ...
protection duties, flying
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar is a British carrier-borne reconnaissance aircraft/fighter aircraft which was developed and manufactured by aircraft company Fairey Aviation. It was named after the northern fulmar, a seabird native to the British Isles. The F ...
s from various bases around the British coast. 808 Naval Air Squadron was next assigned to the aircraft carrier together with
807 Naval Air Squadron
807 Naval Air Squadron (807 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy.
Second World War
807 Squadron was formed at RNAS Worthy Down in September 1940, equipped with Fairey Fulmar Is. Three were embarked on HMS ''Pegasus'', where they rem ...
, operating in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres. This posting lasted from September 1940 to November 1941, when ''Ark Royal'' was sunk by an enemy torpedo.
Guthrie was on board at the time. 808 Naval Air Squadron pilots, including Guthrie, would also fly
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
aircraft from
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
during this time.
Guthrie and other personnel aboard HMS ''Ark Royal'' were recognised for their gallantry in the Mediterranean; Guthrie was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
for his involvement in a sortie defending a Maltese convoy from enemy action, despite being significantly outnumbered by enemy aircraft.
The sinking of ''Ark Royal'' saw 808 Naval Air Squadron merge with 807 Naval Air Squadron and disband, reforming a year later. Guthrie did not join the merged 807 Naval Air Squadron; instead he returned to the UK and joined the
Naval Air Fighting Development Unit (NAFDU) operating from
RAF Duxford
Duxford Aerodrome is located south of Cambridge, within the civil parish of Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England and nearly west of the village. The airfield is owned by the Imperial War Museum (IWM) and is the site of the Imperial War Muse ...
, alongside their RAF counterpart, the
Air Fighting Development Unit
The Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) was an air technical intelligence part of the Royal Air Force which developed tactics and tested captured enemy aircraft. It was based at Royal Air Force Stations Northolt, Duxford and Wittering.
The AF ...
.
There, Guthrie was involved in flight testing almost every single- and twin-engined aircraft entering service with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, and involving himself in development work, such as testing the
Wilbur R. Franks designed
G-suit
A g-suit, or anti-''g'' suit, is a flight suit worn by aviators and astronauts who are subject to high levels of acceleration force ( g). It is designed to prevent a black-out and g-LOC (g-induced loss of consciousness) caused by the blood pool ...
in
Supermarine Seafire
The Supermarine Seafire is a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. It was analogous in concept to the Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised version of the Spitfire's stablemate, the Hawker Hurri ...
s.
Guthrie remained with the NAFDU until the end of the war, by which time he had risen to second in command and promoted to acting lieutenant commander. He was appointed an Officer of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
, Military Division (OBE) in the
1946 New Year Honours
The 1946 New Year Honours were appointments by many of the Commonwealth Realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and to celebrate the passing of 1945 and the beginnin ...
.
He flew a
Chrislea Ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or a club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the ...
and a
Stinson Reliant
The Stinson Reliant is a popular single-engine four- to five-seat high-wing monoplane manufactured by the Stinson Aircraft Division of the Aviation Manufacturing Corporation of Wayne, Michigan.
Design and development
The Reliant is a high-win ...
from
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after H ...
after the war, but increasing demands on both his time and that of Gatwick Airport resulted in his eventual retirement from flying, and he let his pilots licence lapse after 1953.
Business career
Guthrie had initially been offered a role with British Overseas Airways Corporation immediately after the war, but the death of his father on 28 September 1945 made this difficult and he would instead manage the Guthrie family's business interests, which included the shareholding in North Central Wagon Company. He was appointed to the board of North Central in August 1946, at their
annual general meeting.
He initially asked
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conserv ...
in 1946 to join North Central as the deputy chairman, with a view to him taking over as chairman, but Heath, who was interested in running for Parliament, thought moving from London to Rotherham, where North Central was based, would be damaging to his political ambitions and turned down the offer.
Guthrie, in addition to his North Central role, served as managing director of the merchant bank
Brown, Shipley & Co., and he would again offer Edward Heath a role, in 1949, as a trainee banker.
The role was to provide a source of income for Heath, who had already been selected as the
prospective parliamentary candidate for
Bexley
Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Char ...
, and who would be elected to Parliament at the
1950 General Election, held in February.
Guthrie took up the deputy chairman role at North Central Wagon Company himself, serving from 1960 to 1964.
He also served on the board of
Radio Rentals
Radio Rentals was formed in 1930Radio Rentals Staff Handbook in Brighton, Sussex, UK to rent out radio sets by Percy Perring-Thoms with a turnover in the first year of £780 (). It later offered televisions and ultimately video recorders for re ...
until 1964, and served on the board of
Prudential Assurance Company
Prudential plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It was founded in London in May 1848 to provide loans to professional and working people.
Prudential has dual primary listings on the London Stock E ...
from May 1963 to January 1964. He was appointed to fill the vacant seat on the Prudential board created by the death of
Donald Fergusson in March 1963, and it was widely expected he would become Prudential's chairman.
Aviation industry
His knowledge of aviation and finance made him an ideal candidate for board positions with the state-owned British airlines; firstly he was appointed to the board of British European Airways in April 1959 then in 1963, he was appointed to the board of British Overseas Airways Corporation, where he took over from
Matthew Slattery
Rear-Admiral Sir Matthew Sausse Slattery, (12 May 1902 – 16 March 1990) was a British naval officer, military aviator and businessman. He was the managing director and chairman of Short Brothers and Harland, chairman of British Oversea ...
as chairman and
Basil Smallpeice
Sir Basil Smallpeice, (18 September 1906 – 12 July 1992) was an English accountant and businessman, who served as a director of several companies, including the state owned airline British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), the shippi ...
as managing director, taking the additional title of chief executive.
He took up his position on 1 January 1964, relinquishing all but his British European Airways board appointment when taking up the BOAC role; the Government wished for closer co-operation between BOAC and BEA, and it was agreed that Guthrie would remain on the BEA board to facilitate this.
Guthrie joined the Air Registration Board (predecessor of the
Civil Aviation Authority
A civil aviation authority (CAA) is a national or supranational statutory authority that oversees the regulation of civil aviation, including the maintenance of an aircraft register.
Role
Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, ...
) in September 1964, serving as an airline representative.
He was appointed at the same time as his predecessor at BOAC, Matthew Slattery and aircraft engine designer
Stanley Hooker
Sir Stanley George Hooker, CBE, FRS, DPhil, BSc, FRAeS, MIMechE, FAAAS, (30 September 1907 – 24 May 1984) was a mathematician and jet engine engineer. He was employed first at Rolls-Royce where he worked on the earliest designs such as ...
.
He also served on the executive committee of the
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
from 1964 to 1968.
BOAC was suffering from significant financial problems when Guthrie took over, and the airline had run at a loss from 1958 through to 1963, returning to profitability in 1963–1964.
BOAC's debt stood at approximately £80 million by 1964, all financed by the government. This indebtedness was further exacerbated by the airline being ordered by the government to purchase British-built aircraft it had little or no requirement for, and as a result, a capital borrowing facility of £180 million was made available in 1961–1962 to finance the purchase of 35
Vickers
Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...
VC10
The Vickers VC10 is a mid-sized, narrow-body long-range British jet airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd and first flown at Brooklands, Surrey, in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance route ...
jet aircraft.
The plans to acquire the Vickers VC10, which would eventually call for a fleet of 45 to be purchased by 1967, resulted in the resignations of Matthew Slattery, Guthrie's predecessor as chairman, and his managing director, Basil Smallpeice.
They believed BOAC had no requirement for all the aircraft ordered, that the Vickers VC10 would be too expensive to operate, and that the government's 'Buy British' policy would prevent the airline from returning to profitability.
Guthrie was employed specifically to tackle the financial issues at the airline and restore its long-term profitability.
His initial proposals involved complementary decisions to reduce the number of destinations and routes served, and scaling back the size of the fleet, which was planned to reach 100 aircraft by 1970. Guthrie initially planned for a fleet of 39 aircraft by 1967, consisting of the 12 Vickers Standard VC10s which had been delivered or which were under construction, and 27
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
s.
This would be achieved by cancelling the order for 30 Vickers Super VC10 aircraft and purchasing 6 additional Boeing 707 jets instead, with more ordered if needed.
His final request when taking up his appointment was that the airline's debt of £80m should be written off by the government, and the company refinanced, as if it was a new start-up.
Julian Amery
Harold Julian Amery, Baron Amery of Lustleigh, (27 March 1919 – 3 September 1996) was a British Conservative Party politician, who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 39 of the 42 years between 1950 and 1992. He was appointed to the Pr ...
,
Minister of Aviation
The Ministry of Aviation was a department of the United Kingdom government established in 1959. Its responsibilities included the regulation of civil aviation and the supply of military aircraft, which it took on from the Ministry of Supply. ...
agreed to the majority of Guthrie's plan, the only major exception being the outright cancellation of the Vickers VC10, which wasn't authorised. The routes to South America were divested to
British United Airways
British United Airways (BUA) was a private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations British airline formed as a result of the merger of Airwork Services and Hunting-Clan Air Transport in July 1960, making it the largest whol ...
, the debt owed to government was written off and refinancing of the airline completed with an investment of £30m from the government.
Amery allowed the order for 30 Super VC10s to be reduced to 17 aircraft; three of the remaining aircraft were diverted to the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and the remaining 10 airframes cancelled during early production, which would give BOAC a fleet of 29 Vickers VC10 aircraft in total. Guthrie resumed flying and captained proving flights of the VC10, including a transatlantic demonstration to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
.
BOAC were permitted to purchase two Boeing 707 freighters during 1965 and after taking full ownership of the BOAC-Cunard joint venture, the two Boeing 707 passenger jets which
Cunard Line
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
had contributed to the joint venture (through their
Cunard Eagle Airways
British Eagle International Airlines was a major British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline that operated from 1948 until it went into liquidation in 1968. It operated scheduled and charter services on a domesti ...
subsidiary) passed to BOAC.
Passenger growth and load factors quickly increased under Guthrie's tenure, and he invested in larger aircraft with more passenger capacity than either the Vickers Super VC10 or the Boeing 707 could provide.
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
and
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
had worked together to develop the
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022.
After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...
and it quickly became apparent that to compete with Pan American on the north Atlantic routes, BOAC would need to operate either the Boeing 747 or a broadly comparable jet. Guthrie successfully resisted pressure to purchase a proposed double-deck variant of the Vickers Super VC10, and was given permission to place an order for six Boeing 747-100 aircraft in August 1966.
Guthrie's tenure at BOAC was marred by a two fatal incidents; the first,
BOAC Flight 911
BOAC Flight 911 (call sign "Speedbird 911") was a round-the-world flight operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) that crashed near Mount Fuji in Japan on 5 March 1966, with the loss of all 113 passengers and 11 crew members ...
, occurred in March 1966 when a Boeing 707 experienced
clear-air turbulence
In meteorology, clear-air turbulence (CAT) is the turbulent movement of air masses in the absence of any visual clues, such as clouds, and is caused when bodies of air moving at widely different speeds meet.
The atmospheric region most suscepti ...
whilst overflying
Mount Fuji
, or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...
in Japan. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 124 passengers and crew, the most deadly accident involving a British airline to date. Guthrie travelled to Japan to be involved in the investigation.
The second fatal accident,
BOAC Flight 712
BOAC Flight 712 ( callsign ''Speedbird 712'') was a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) service operated by a Boeing 707-465 from London Heathrow Airport bound for Sydney via Zurich and Singapore. On Monday 8 April 1968, it suffered a ...
, also involved a Boeing 707. The aircraft suffered an un-contained engine failure during takeoff; returning to Heathrow, the engine separated from the wing, causing the wing to catch fire. The aircraft cabin was destroyed by fire, and five people were killed.
Guthrie would attempt to deal with industrial relations issues and strike action which affected BOAC, like many state-owned companies in the 1960s and 1970s. He was largely successful and left the company with only a pay dispute with pilots unresolved, an issue that would continue on for several more years, delaying the Boeing 747's introduction by a year to 1971.
He was responsible for cutting the executive headcount by a quarter, and more than 3,000 staff made redundant, with some being replaced by the new computer systems he introduced to streamline the business.
He announced in May 1968 that he did not wish to be re-appointed for a second five-year term as chairman and chief executive of BOAC, relinquishing his BOAC appointment and related board positions at the end of 1968. BOAC had made £62 million in profits since 1964 and generated cash reserves of almost £80 million at the time of his announcement.
Guthrie, when interviewed in ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' days before his formal resignation, explained that the airline had public dividend capital of £50 million, the government loan capital of £30 million and £61 million in cash reserves, and with an expected profit of £12 million to £15 million in 1968–1969, BOAC's finances would be almost exactly where he had intended them to be when he took up his role in 1964; he wanted £80 million in capital and £80 million in reserves at the end of the five-year period running from 1964 to 1968.
He also indicated the problems inherent with the separate BOAC and BEA structures during this interview, something that would be resolved when BOAC and BEA merged to form
British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...
in March 1974.
Other interests
Guthrie's exit from BOAC allowed him to establish Air Transport Insurance and Air Transport Guarantee, mutual
self-insurance Self-insurance is a situation in which a person or business that is liable for some risk does not take out any third-party insurance, but rather chooses to bear the risk itself.
In the United States the concept applies especially to self-funded hea ...
pools owned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the
Air Transport Association of America
Airlines for America (A4A), formerly known as Air Transport Association of America (ATA), is an American trade association and lobbying group based in Washington, D.C. that represents major North American airlines.
Profile
Mission
A4A ...
with the purpose of partially insuring their members new Boeing 747 aircraft.
He would serve as Air Transport Insurance and Air Transport Guarantee's chairman alongside director-general Clarence Pell until 1971.
In 1966, the Guthries survived an armed robbery attempt at their Gatwick home and Giles wife, Rhona, was shot when she tried to disarm a burglar who was aiming a gun at Giles. He believed that Rhona had saved his life in the process.
The armed robbery prompted the Guthrie family to move to the Channel Island of
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label=Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependencies, Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west F ...
the same year. They purchased a sizeable house situated in its own valley, and Rhona, Lady Guthrie set about renovating the overgrown gardens.
Guthrie once again became involved in local government after his move to Jersey, he served as the chairman of a Water Inquiry Board set up by Jersey's Public Works Committee.
He had previously served as a
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
in West Sussex in 1955.
He was a keen sportsman; he played cricket for
Lowfield Heath
Lowfield Heath is a former village within the boundaries of the Borough of Crawley, West Sussex, England. Situated on the main London to Brighton road approximately south of London and north of Crawley, it was gradually rendered uninhabit ...
Cricket Club, prior to the expansion of
Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport (), also known as London Gatwick , is a major international airport near Crawley, West Sussex, England, south of Central London. In 2021, Gatwick was the third-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after H ...
which resulted in the village of Lowfield Heath being redeveloped.
He was a member of the
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...
and of the
Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) is a British yacht club. Its clubhouse is Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. Member yachts are given the suffix RYS to their names, and are permitted (with the appropriate warrant) to we ...
where he owned and raced several yachts.
Guthrie and other members of the Royal Yacht Squadron were interested in challenging for the
Americas Cup
The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sailing (sport), sport of sailing. It is the oldest International sport, international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match racing, match ...
in 1961, but decided against mounting a challenge. Guthrie would have led a syndicate owning one of four boats, the fastest of which would have gone forward to challenge the New York Yacht Club for the trophy.
Family
Guthrie was married on 17 July 1939 to Rhona Leslie Stileman, the engagement was announced on 12 April 1939.
Giles and Rhona had three children.
* Neil Guthrie (1940–1940); died eight days after birth.
* Malcolm Connop Guthrie (1942–); married Victoria Willcock on 30 September 1967 and succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1979.
They have two children:
:* Islay Mary Welcome Guthrie (1968–)
:* Giles Malcolm Welcome Guthrie (1972–); heir apparent.
* Alistair Peter Guthrie (1946–1986); married Elizabeth Dorothy Margaret Schaposchnikoff on 22 March 1966.
They had two children:
:* Alexander Valentine Connop Guthrie (1966–)
:* Barnaby Giles Guthrie (1969–)
Giles Guthrie died at his Rozel, Jersey home on 31 December 1979 from a malignant brain tumour.
His eldest surviving son, Malcolm Connop Guthrie succeeded to the baronetcy.
His wife, Rhona, survived him and continued to live on Jersey until her death in 2012 aged 93.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guthrie, Giles
1916 births
1979 deaths
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Fleet Air Arm aviators
Royal Navy officers
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
People of the British Overseas Airways Corporation
British European Airways
English bankers
Aviation pioneers
British air racers
English test pilots
English aviators
People educated at Eton College
Commercial aviators
Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II
20th-century English businesspeople