Born in 1920; educated at Edinburgh Academy, Cargilfield, Fettes College and Trinity College, Oxford (MA) where he graduated with a first class honours degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Commissioned in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (TA) in 1939, he served throughout the war in North Africa and the Mediterranean theatre (with the Scottish Commando) and in France and Italy with Special Operations Executive. He had two years as a prisoner from November 1941 to November 1943, escaping from Germany via Sweden to resume active service.

In the photo Sir Thomas is clad in the Queen's Own Highlanders tartan kilt that he wore when he parachuted into Occupied France in 1944 to help organize the French underground forces. He was wearing it when he accepted the surrender of a German armoured division. This is said to be the last time that a British Army kilt was worn in combat.

Sir Thomas has served as chairman of Annington Holdings plc, Boustead plc, and other companies including chief executive of Mallinson-Denny plc, and later chairman or director of numerous well-known companies including Scottish Mutual, TSB Scotland, Birmid Qualcast plc, Keller Group plc, Allstate Insurance (Europe), the Société Générale Merchant Bank, Caledonian Paper plc, and the National Coal Board.

In public life, he is active in the Confederation of British Industry and has been president of the London Chamber of Commerce and the British Chambers of Commerce, from which he became the first British president of the European Chambers of Commerce.