John Fullerton Evetts
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir John Fullerton Evetts CB
, CBE
, MC
(1891 – 1988) was a career soldier of the British Army
.
and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, Evetts was commissioned into The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
in 1911.
He fought on the Western Front
during World War I
, and was awarded the Military Cross
. He was Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General at the War Office
from 1932 and then Commanding Officer
of the 1st battalion Royal Ulster Rifles
from 1934. He commanded 16th Infantry Brigade in Palestine from 1935 to 1939, during the Arab revolt.
During World War II
he was a Brigadier
on the General Staff of Northern Command in India
from 1939 and then he commanded the Western (Independent) District in India
from 1940. He was General Officer Commanding
6th Infantry Division in North Africa from 1941. He was Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff
from 1942 and Senior Military Advisor to the Minister of Supply
from 1944. He retired in 1946.
From 1946 to 1950 Evetts led the establishment of the Anglo-Australian Joint Project, which led to the formation and development of the Long Range Weapons Estabishment (LRWE) at Salisbury, in Adelaide, South Australia, and the famous 'Woomera Rocket Range' (now the 'Woomera Test Range') 460 km north of Adelaide.
In retirement he became Managing Director and then Chairman of Rotol Limited
and British Messier.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1891 – 1988) was a career soldier of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
Military career
Educated at Lancing CollegeLancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, Evetts was commissioned into The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
The Cameronians was an infantry regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry...
in 1911.
He fought on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. He was Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
from 1932 and then Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the 1st battalion Royal Ulster Rifles
Royal Ulster Rifles
The Royal Ulster Rifles was a British Army infantry regiment. It saw service in the Second Boer War, Great War, the Second World War and the Korean War, before being amalgamated into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968.-History:...
from 1934. He commanded 16th Infantry Brigade in Palestine from 1935 to 1939, during the Arab revolt.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was a Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
on the General Staff of Northern Command in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from 1939 and then he commanded the Western (Independent) District in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from 1940. He was General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
6th Infantry Division in North Africa from 1941. He was Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff
Assistant Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)
-Responsibilities:The Assistant Chief of the General Staff supports the Chief of the General Staff in his responsibilities, sets the conditions for the British Army to contribute to success on operations, ensures coherence across the 'Defence Lines of Development' and develops the Army of the...
from 1942 and Senior Military Advisor to the Minister of Supply
Minister of Supply
The Minister of Supply was the minister in the British Government responsible for the Ministry of Supply, which existed to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to the national armed forces...
from 1944. He retired in 1946.
From 1946 to 1950 Evetts led the establishment of the Anglo-Australian Joint Project, which led to the formation and development of the Long Range Weapons Estabishment (LRWE) at Salisbury, in Adelaide, South Australia, and the famous 'Woomera Rocket Range' (now the 'Woomera Test Range') 460 km north of Adelaide.
In retirement he became Managing Director and then Chairman of Rotol Limited
Dowty Rotol
Dowty Rotol is a British engineering company based in Cheltenham specialised in the manufacture of propellers and propeller components. It is owned by General Electric, forming part of its GE Aviation Systems division.-History:...
and British Messier.