Basil Eugster

Sir Basil Oscar Eugster
Born 15 August 1914
Died 5 April 1984 (aged 69)
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Commands held 3 Bn Irish Guards
1 Bn Irish Guards
3rd Infantry Brigade
4th Division
London District
Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
Southern Command
UK Land Forces
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Military Cross (MC)

General Sir Basil Oscar Eugster KCB, KCVO, CBE, DSO MC (15 August 1914 5 April 1984) was a Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces.

Army career

A British soldier of Swiss descent,[1] Basil Eugster attended Beaumont College. In 1935 he joined the Irish Guards.[2] He served with his Regiment through World War II and fought in the Narvik Campaign in Norway in 1940.[2] He was Commanding Officer of 3 Bn Irish Guards in 1945, and again in 1947, and of 1 Bn Irish Guards from 1951 to 1954.[2]

Eugster served as Commander of 3rd Infantry Brigade in Cyprus from 1959 to 1962 and was then General Officer Commanding 4th Division in Germany from 1963 to 1965.[2] He went on to become Major-General commanding the Household Brigade and General Officer Commanding London District between 1965 and 1968 and Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong from 1968 to 1970.[2] He was then General Officer Commanding Southern Command from 1971 to 1972.[2] He served as the Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces from 1972 to 1974 when he retired.[2] In 1966, Eugster was awarded the Austrian Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star.[3]

Later career

He was Colonel of the Regiment of the Irish Guards until his death in 1984, aged 69.[4]

External links

References

  1. Beat de Fischer, 2000 Ans De Presence Suisse En Angleterre: L'etonnante epopee Des Suisses D'Outre-Manche, De L'epoque Romaine a La Communaute Europeenne
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  3. "Reply to a parliamentary question" (pdf) (in German). p. 26. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  4. Irish Guards: History
Military offices
Preceded by
Jean Allard
General Officer Commanding the 4th Division
19631965
Succeeded by
Michael Forrester
Preceded by
Sir John Nelson
GOC London District
19651968
Succeeded by
Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard
Preceded by
Sir John Worsley
Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
1968–1970
Succeeded by
Sir Richard Ward
Preceded by
Sir Michael Carver
GOC-in-C Southern Command
19711972
Succeeded by
Post Disbanded
Preceded by
New Post
Commander in Chief, UK Land Forces
19721974
Succeeded by
Sir Roland Gibbs