John Coleridge Patteson
John Coleridge Patteson (1896-1954) of the Canadian Pacific Railway
1954 Obituary [1]
IT is with regret that we record the death of Mr. J. C. Patteson, C.M.G., which occurred in Paris on Sunday, January l0th, during the course of a brief business tour of the Continent.
Mr. Patteson, who was European general manager for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, held one of the more important posts in the world of transport, and not only represented the Canadian Pacific Railway itself, but also its subsidiary steamship and airline companies.
John Coleridge Patteson was born in London, Ontario, in December, 1896, was educated at Ridley College, St. Catherine's, Ontario, and the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario, and served with Canadian Field Artillery in the first world war with the rank of captain.
It was in 1923 that he joined the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and served in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago before moving to London in 1936 as assistant to the then European general manager, the late Sir George McLaren Brown. Sir George retired later the same year and Mr. Patteson was appointed as European manager.
During the second world war he was on loan to the Ministry of Supply from 1940 to 1944, carrying out the duties of Director-General, Supply Services, and for his work was awarded the C.M.G.
Mr. Patteson returned in 1944 to take up his position as the company's European manager and two years later was appointed European general manager. In his position it was his responsibility to make the arrangements for the Transatlantic journeys of the Royal family, including the 1939 tour of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and the 1951 tour of our present Queen as Princess Elizabeth, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
It also fell to his task after the war to reorganise the passenger and freight steamship services of the company by replacing war losses and the reconversion of the passenger liners.