For more than 100 years our supporters’ generous gifts have helped us adapt to meet the changing needs of veterans and their partners. This month we remember Brigadier Harry Everard. A long-time supporter and friend of Royal Star & Garter.

Harry spent 37 years in the Royal Engineers (RE). From his commission in 1947 to his retirement in the early 1980s, he had a long and distinguished military career, serving as a Royal Engineer all over the world.

His first posting abroad was in 1953 in Korea, where he was a Troop Commander with 12 Field Squadron. Postings followed to Germany, Kenya, Bahrain and the Gulf, where he became Chief Royal Engineer Land Forces in 1969 on his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.

For many units at that time, the relentless routine of garrison duties made a nine-month tour of the Gulf into a challenging and arduous experience. Thanks to Harry, a variety of projects were introduced that allowed serving tradesmen to hone their skills, keeping them busy and giving them a chance to have extended periods outside the camp.

In Bahrain, the projects Harry and his staff arranged for the Squadron were varied and testing. These projects gave the soldiers a real sense of purpose and boosted their morale, when they may otherwise have been homesick for their families.

Harry had reached the rank of Brigadier when he returned to the UK in 1978. He then retired and joined Glaxo as Head of Administration for ten years. He was a great all-round sportsman and was the President of several Royal Engineers sporting societies. He also played rugby for RE Malaya.

Harry was very interested in the support and care of service men and women once they had left the Armed Forces, and he was a loyal supporter of Royal Star & Garter for over 20 years. He also generously remembered our charity with a gift in his Will. This wonderful support has helped us to reach more veterans and their partners, both through our residential care and through services in the community.