George Gater

Brigadier-General Sir George Henry Gater (26 December 1886 – 14 January 1963) was a senior British Army officer and civil servant.

Gater was the son of William Henry Gater, a solicitor, and his wife, Ada Mary Welch. He was educated at Twyford School, Winchester College and New College, Oxford. He trained as a teacher, and became Director of Education for Nottinghamshire County Council in 1911. Upon the outbreak of the First World War, Gater enlisted as an officer in the Sherwood Foresters, his local regiment. He was promoted to captain in 1915, before being deployed to Gallipoli with the 9th battalion of his regiment, part of the 33rd Brigade of the 11th (Northern) Division. He was promoted to major whilst serving in the Gallipoli Campaign. His unit was evacuated from the Mediterranean in December 1915, being redeployed to the Western Front in 1916. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in October 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. That same month he was promoted to Lt-Colonel and given command of the 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Whilst commanding the battalion at Messines, he sustained a wound in the mouth and ear by a shell splinter but remained on duty, and for this he was awarded a bar to his DSO.

On 1 November 1917, Gater was chosen to succeed Brigadier-General C G Rawling as commander of the 62nd Brigade. This appointment was unprecedented, as Gater had only served in the army for three years. He led the brigade during the German Spring Offensive of 1918, refusing to surrender his position despite its encirclement by German forces.

Following the war, Gater became a civil servant. He was Director of Education in Lancashire betwee 1919 and 1924, before becoming Education Officer at London County Council until 1933. He was knighted in 1936. In 1939, he became Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Home Security and subsequently served as Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1940. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1944. From 1951 to 1959, he was Warden of Winchester College. In addition, he was a Justice of the Peace.