Arthur Sidgreaves

Sir Arthur Frederick Sidgreaves OBE (12 June 1882 – 7 June 1948) was a British businessman who was head of Rolls-Royce, notably during World War II.

[1] He was born 12 June 1882 in the Malay States,[2] the son of Sir Thomas Sidgreaves, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Straits Settlements, and Barbara Catharine.

He joined Rolls-Royce in July 1920, where he was export manager in the London offices.

From 1935, the British government introduced its shadow factory programme, and he jointly instigated the Rolls-Royce factory to produce the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in Cheshire.

[6] On Monday 7 June 1948, disturbed by an unfavourable medical report, he threw himself under a train at Green Park underground station.

Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine at the RAF Museum in June 2010
Rolls-Royce site at Glasgow in October 2005