Matthew Slattery
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Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
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 Overseas Airways Corporation British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the United Kingdom, British state-owned national airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II ...
and latterly served as chairman of
Hawthorn Leslie and Company R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilder and locomotive manufacturer. The company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982. History The company was formed ...
. He was also a board member of
Bristol Aeroplane Company The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aircraft engines. Notable ...
and The National Bank.


Early life

Slattery was born in
Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on 12 May 1902. His father was Henry Francis Slattery and his mother was Agnes Slattery (née Cuddon). His father served as the chairman of The National Bank from 1888 to his death in 1911, and had other business interests, serving as the chairman of the
Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway The Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Railway (B&MR) was a railway company in Wales. It was originally intended to link the towns in its name. Finding its access to Merthyr difficult at first, it acquired the Rumney Railway, an old plateway, an ...
, and as a director of several other railways and a number of insurance companies. Slattery was privately educated at
Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College or Stonyhurst is a co-educational Catholic Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing education for boarding school, boarding and day school, day pupils, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition. It is ...
before joining the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
on 15 January 1916, aged 13. He would continue his education at the
Royal Naval College, Osborne The Royal Naval College, Osborne, was a training college for Royal Navy officer cadets on the Osborne House estate, Isle of Wight, established in 1903 and closed in 1921. Boys were admitted at about the age of thirteen to follow a course lasting ...
, then the
Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, ...
.


Military career

Slattery was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on 30 September 1923, then promoted to
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
on 19 June 1924. His early assignments included service aboard the monitor ship , and service with the
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...
(at the time, part of the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
). Slattery was one of a small number of naval officers who took the first Fleet Air Arm training course in 1924, qualifying as a pilot at
Netheravon Airfield Netheravon Airfield is a Ministry of Defence grass strip airfield on Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire, England. Established in 1913 by the Royal Flying Corps, it became RAF Netheravon from 1918 until 1963, then AAC Netheravon ( Army Air Corps) unti ...
. He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 30 September 1931, after eight years service. His service as a lieutenant commander included service as the
flight commander A flight commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. That constituent portion is known as a flight, and usually contains six or fewer aircraft, with three or four being a common ...
for 450 (Fleet Reconnaissance) Flight on the
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
, and attachment to the
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...
. Slattery was an early proponent of deck landings aboard ships thanks to his involvement with the Fleet Air Arm, and would remain heavily involved with carrier borne aircraft for the remainder of his naval career. He was attached to the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
during this time, and held the rank of flight lieutenant until November 1932. He was re-attached to the Royal Air Force in 1934, and held the rank of
squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
. He was promoted to
commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
at the end of 1934 whilst still attached to the Royal Air Force, shortly after, he was given his first command - the destroyer . He would also command the
heavy cruiser A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treat ...
before moving to the
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...
. Slattery was again attached to the Royal Air Force during 1938, and held the rank of
wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...
. Slattery was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
at the end of 1938, whilst still attached to the Royal Air Force, and was, at the time, the Royal Navy's youngest captain. He would be assigned the role Director of Air Material and then Director-General of Naval Aircraft Development and Production,
Ministry of Aircraft Production Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...
. His work in these roles resulted in further development of the
Fairey Swordfish The Fairey Swordfish is a retired biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was a ...
and the introduction of the
Hawker Sea Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft. Some models were built in Canada by Canadian Car and Foundry. British variants Hurricane Mk I Hurricane Mk I (Early producti ...
and the
Supermarine Seafire The Supermarine Seafire is a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. It was analogous in concept to the Hawker Hurricane variants#Sea Hurricanes, Hawker Sea Hurricane, a navalised aircraft ...
. The command of followed in late 1941 and lasted through to June 1942, in what would be an eventful assignment. His next posting was to
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
as Chief Staff Officer to Commodore-in-Charge Naval Air Stations at
Mackinnon Road Mackinnon Road is a town in Kwale County, Kenya, with a population of around 8000 in 1999, located between Mombasa and Voi. Just a few kilometers from Taru. History In World War II a Fleet Air Arm airfield was established at Mackinnon Road a ...
, before returning to the UK in February 1943, taking up the role of Chief Naval Representative, Ministry of Aircraft Production & Director-General of Naval Aircraft Development and Production. Slattery was promoted to
commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...
at the time of this posting. Slattery's final promotion, to the rank of
rear-admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
occurred between June 1944 and July 1945, and his final role with the Royal Navy was a continuation of his previous role, with additional responsibilities, serving as Vice-Controller (Air), Chief of Naval Air Equipment and Chief Naval Representative and Director-General of Naval Aircraft Development and Production. He retired from the Royal Navy in 1948.


Business career

Slattery's business interests directly related to his military work; he was directly involved with aerospace and shipbuilding industries when he retired from active service. His first role, and that which he would hold for longest, was as managing director of the Northern Ireland-based Short Brothers and Harland, a role that he took up in 1948. He served solely as managing director until 1952, then additionally took on the role of chairman. Short Brothers and Harland main work was manufacturing aircraft under contract and licence agreements with the
Ministry of Supply The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK government formed on 1 August 1939 by the Ministry of Supply Act 1939 ( 2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 38) to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Ministe ...
and other aircraft builders. He was joined at Short Brothers and Harland by the naval aviator Captain Henry St John Fancourt, who served under Slattery as the Deputy Chief Naval Representative, Ministry of Aircraft Production. Slattery led Short Brothers and Harland at a time when they developed a number of experimental aircraft designs, though none would see significant production. The
Short SC.1 The Short SC.1 was the first British fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) jet aircraft. It was developed by Short Brothers. It was powered by an arrangement of five Rolls-Royce RB.108 turbojets, four of which were used for vertical ...
was one of a number of experimental designs produced by Shorts, and is notable for being Britain's first
vertical take-off and landing A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-wing ...
(VTOL) aircraft. The SC.1 pre-dated (and aided in the development of) the
Hawker Siddeley Harrier The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British jet-powered attack aircraft designed and produced by the British aerospace company Hawker Siddeley. It was the first operational ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft with vertical/short takeo ...
. He was appointed by
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...
Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...
in 1957 to become a special adviser on the transport of Middle East oil, with a brief on advising the Government how to avoid supply and delivery difficulties of the sort which had been encountered during the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
. Slattery was elected to the board of Bristol, and appointed chairman of Bristol's aircraft manufacturing subsidiary, the Bristol Airplane Company in 1957. Bristol (which had established a 15.25% shareholding in Short Brothers and Harland in 1954) would sign an agreement with Slattery for the production of the
Bristol Britannia The Bristol Type 175 Britannia is a retired United Kingdom, British flight length, medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to meet British civilian aviation needs. During development two prototypes were lo ...
; at first it was expected that the
turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...
airliner would be a sales success and the additional production line would be necessary to meet customer demand. The prolonged and troubled development of the Britannia resulted in the design being quickly overtaken by the
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an early American long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, the initial first flew on Decembe ...
,
Douglas DC-8 The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is an early long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body jetliner designed and produced by the American Douglas Aircraft Company. Work began in 1952 towards the United States Air Force's (USA ...
and for British customers in particular, the
Vickers VC10 The Vickers VC10 is a retired 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 VC10 is often compared to the larger Soviet Ily ...
. Short Brothers developed the Britannia into the Britannic 1, making use of many Britannia components including the wing and landing gear. The Britannic 1 was developed into the Britannic 3A (entering service as the Shorts Belfast) and had far less in common with the Britannia. Just prior to his appointment with BOAC, he had taken up a position as a director of The National Bank, continuing the close association of the Slattery family with the bank. He would return to The National Bank after his period with BOAC. Slattery took over as chairman of the state owned carrier BOAC on 29 July 1960, after
Gerard d'Erlanger Baron Sir Gerard John Regis Leo d'Erlanger, CBE (1906–1962) was a merchant banker in London (partner of ''Erlanger Ltd.'' and ''Myers & Co'') and aviation enthusiast. Baron d'Erlanger was the second son of Emile Beaumont Baron d’Erlanger (18 ...
stood down from the role to return to his other business interests. Slattery served as chairman on a full-time basis unlike d'Erlanger, who held the position on a part-time basis. The appointment to BOAC ended Slattery's 12 years with Shorts, he was replaced as chairman by his predecessor as Bristol Aircraft chairman,
Cyril Uwins Cyril Frank Uwins OBE, AFC, FRAeS (1896–1972) was a British test pilot who worked for Bristol Aeroplane Company, where he made the first flight of 58 types of aircraft. On 16 September 1932 he broke the world aeroplane height record by climbin ...
. Slattery also joined the Airworthiness Requirements Board around the time of his appointment with BOAC. Slattery retained
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, and the duo set about cutting costs at the airline as the deterioration which had begun under d'Erlanger's tenure continued. BOAC would incur significant losses in 1961 and 1962 amidst decreasing passenger loadings, comparatively high maintenance costs and ongoing payments to Vickers for the VC10 orders. Basil Smallpeice, concerned about the financial performance of BOAC, the additional competition from
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 ...
and the inability to obtain additional Boeing 707 aircraft any other way, began talks in April 1962 to merge BOAC's North Atlantic operations with those of Cunard Eagle. Agreement was reached in early June 1962 on ownership percentages, and the newly formed company, BOAC-Cunard, began operations later that month. The new airline would operate all the transatlantic services of BOAC and Cunard Eagle from 1962 to 1966. Slattery served as chairman of the joint venture, in addition to his role as chairman of BOAC itself. The downturn in the aviation sector and fraught relations between
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 ...
, the new Minister of Aviation and BOAC concerning writing off debt (much of it incurred buying and troubleshooting new British aircraft) resulted in a further deterioration in relations between the airline and government. Amery commissioned an independent report into the financial performance of BOAC, undertaken by John Corbett. The ongoing disagreement about the funding arrangements for BOAC and the need for new Vickers VC10 aircraft would eventually be resolved in late 1963, when Slattery formally retired as chairman, though this was widely seen as a resignation; Slattery commented in 1964 that he had effectively been sacked.
Giles Guthrie 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 Brit ...
, a respected aviator, merchant banker and director of
British European Airways British European Airways (BEA), formally British European Airways Corporation, was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom. The ...
took over from Slattery as chairman. He credited the Slattery and Smallpeice management team for BOAC's return to profitability in 1964. Slattery returned to The National Bank, retaking his seat on the board of directors after leaving BOAC. He was also involved in the negotiations that the British Government undertook during 1966 to diversify Short Brothers and the connected
Harland and Wolff Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...
shipbuilding business, following downturns in both businesses. His next significant position was at the shipbuilder
Hawthorn Leslie and Company R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilder and locomotive manufacturer. The company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982. History The company was formed ...
, joining the board in 1964 and taking the role of chairman in 1966. The British shipbuilding industry at the time was in a period of significant upheaval, with changes in the shipping industry (particularly containerisation, which was being pioneered by Basil Smallpeice at
Cunard The Cunard Line ( ) is a British shipping and an international cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its four ships have been r ...
) reducing demand for the traditional types of ship built in Britain. The ''Geddes Report'' broadly encouraged rationalisation of the British shipbuilding industry, and Hawthorn Leslie would merge their shipbuilding assets with those of
Swan Hunter Swan Hunter, formerly known as Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, is a shipbuilding design, engineering, and management company, based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England. At its apex, the company represented the combined forces of three pow ...
,
John Readhead & Sons John Readhead & Sons was a shipyard on the River Tyne in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England founded in 1865. History John Readhead and John Softley founded the business in 1865 in South Shields as Readhead and Softley. The first ship they bu ...
and the
River Tyne The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden, Northumberland, Warden near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The ...
assets of
Vickers-Armstrongs Vickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927. The majority of the company was nationalised in the 1960s and 1970s, w ...
to form Swan Hunter Group in 1968. Hawthorn Leslie would take a 16.36% stake in the combined Swan Hunter Group (formally Swan Hunter Shipbuilders Limited), holding this until 1977 when the entire shipbuilding industry was nationalised to form
British Shipbuilders British Shipbuilders (BS) was a public corporation that owned and managed the shipbuilding industry in Great Britain from 1977 through the 1980s. Its head office was at Benton House in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. History The corporation wa ...
. Slattery served as a director of the Swan Hunter Group from the time of the merger in 1968 through to 1973, when he retired from Hawthorn Leslie and Company. Slattery's final role before retirement was with the
Air Registration Board The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the statutory corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. Its areas of responsibility include: * Supervising the issuing of pilots and aircraft engineers ...
, having joined in 1960, he retired from the ARB in May 1974. He was first appointed to the ARB as an operators representative (and was succeeded in this role on the board by Giles Guthrie). He remained on the board after leaving BOAC, and took over from the late
John Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara Lieutenant Colonel John Theodore Cuthbert Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara, , HonFRPS (8 February 1884 – 17 May 1964) was an English aviation pioneer and Conservative politician. He was the first Englishman to pilot a heavier-than- ...
as an independent representative.


Personal life

Slattery was married once, to Mica Mary Swain, daughter of Colonel DG Swain. They married in 1925 and had three children, two sons and one daughter. Their son, David Antony Slattery, was a noted occupational physician who served as
Rolls-Royce plc Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for ...
's chief medical officer and later lectured at the
University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...
. Mica survived her husband and died in 1998. Slattery was honoured several times during his career. He was first appointed a
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...
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 beginn ...
for his work with the Ministry of Aircraft Supply. He was then knighted (as a
Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...
) in the
1955 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1955 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1955 to celebra ...
for his work with Shotts and Harland. He was subsequently appointed a
Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...
in the
1960 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1960 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the ''Lon ...
for his work advising the government on the transport of oil from the Middle East. The
United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
honoured Slattery with the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
(Degree of Commander) in 1945, whilst in 1954,
Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
awarded him an
honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...
Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
degree. He was appointed as a
Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...
in 1946, a significant honour for those involved in the aviation industry. Slattery listed his hobbies as "country pursuits" in his Who's Who entry.


References

Notes Citations Bibliography * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Slattery, Matthew 1902 births 1990 deaths English bankers British aviation pioneers British chairpersons of corporations British corporate directors People educated at Stonyhurst College Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College Royal Navy admirals of World War II Companions of the Order of the Bath Knights Bachelor Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit Fleet Air Arm aviators Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society Alumni of Queen's University Belfast People of the British Overseas Airways Corporation Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II 20th-century English businesspeople Military personnel from Kent