John Watson Gibson

[1] Gibson's estate totalled 346 acres (140 ha) when in 1936 the Metropolitan Water Board bought most of it[3] to build the King George VI Reservoir.

[1] After completing the Jebel Aulia Dam, Gibson became managing director of Pauling & Co, a position he held until his death in March 1947.

For the duration of the war his family moved to a more rural location, and Gibson lent Stanwell Place to the United States Army High Command.

It was used for two high level meetings of the Supreme Allied Command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower held in late June and mid-July 1944, with attendees including Henry Stimson, George Marshall, and Admiral Ernest King.

[1] Under the direction of Major General Sir Harold Augustus Wernher, Gibson oversaw the fabrication of the Concrete Phoenix Caissons across Southern England and created the special 'Winterization' process to safeguard the breakwaters during the winter of 1944.