The third of five children of Alfred and Isabella, Walter McLennan Citrine was born on August 22nd 1887. Having attended elementary school from age twelve he then chose to be educated at home. He became a prolific reader of dictionaries, books on economics and accountancy and the most important of all his textbooks and the subject of his career - understanding electricity.
Walter had absented himself from secondary school when wishing to go to sea, But then in refusing to work as a cabin boy aboard ship, he came home to study and secure an apprenticeship at a flour mill in Liverpool. Having then joined the union movement in 1911 within just three years Walter had been elected Mersey District Secretary of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) and then emerged as its Assistant General Secretary.
He married Dorothy (Doris) Helen Slade of Pendleton Manchester in March 1914 and they would produce two sons Norman Arthur and Ronald. Norman eventually became a successful solicitor and writer and even published "Trade Union Law" in 1950. During the early years of unionism Walter began to fully understand how "collectives" could bring about bargaining initiatives between members and employers. By 1920 he had been elected full time District Secretary of the ETU, a promotion which saw him achieve the prestigious position of Assistant General Secretary of the ETU Manchester.
Walter would be awarded a Baronetcy yet meanwhile he grounded himself in unionism on realising what might be achieved through strength of numbers of members. This led to him being seen as a literal Trade Union Baron and when Appointed Assistant General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in January 1924, just two years later with the death of General Secretary Fred Brambley, he was made Acting General Secretary of the TUC. Weeks later what turned into a historic day for Trade Unions brought their first General Strike.
The strike commenced on April 25th 1926 and talks had to take place at 10 Downing Street after the Daily Mail "setters" refused to print the headline "For King and Country". This saw Prime Minister Baldwin, Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain accusing the unions of "gross interference with the freedom of the press". Now a British Gazette was launched with Churchill as Editor. It condemned the TUC as - "the enemy" and yet Citrine quietly opposed the strike for different reasons, which eventually led to TUC Chairman Arthur Pugh and Citrine attending Downing on May 12th 1926 to confirm their unconditional recommendation - for the General Strike to end. Within weeks the remaining 250,000 miners were slowly drifting back to work and by November the strike ended, meaning the employers had won.
In supporting Churchill's stance over rearmament during the 1930's Citrine was offered a place in Sir Winston's Government of 1940 but declined. However he accepted appointment to the Privy Council and having been employed by the TUC for twenty years was then appointed in 1946 to the new National Coal Board where his responsibilities became interestingly - education, training and welfare.
Having accepted a Baronetcy in July 1946 he became the First Baron Citrine. Also, as Chairman of Central Electricity Authority his years of studying electricity really paid off. He announced these as his happiest and most creative years, being a superb administrator. When the 553 Municipal and Privately owned electricity undertakings became the Central Electricity Authority, his archives became invaluable. Given an honorary LLD by Manchester University in 1955 he finally joined the Atomic Energy Authority in 1958.
Having lost his wife in 1973 his Lordship in retirement chose to move to Torbay where he lived with his son at Gorse Cottage Berry Head Brixham. Then at age ninety he moved to a small three bedded cottage in Brixham then owned by ex-auxiliary nurse Mrs Ruth Pearce and her husband where he remained until his death on January 22nd 1983 at age 95.
