John Fullerton Evetts

Lieutenant-General Sir John Fullerton Evetts CB, CBE, MC (1891 – 1988) was a career soldier of the British Army.

Military career
Educated at Lancing College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Evetts was commissioned into The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in 1911.

He fought on the Western Front during the Great War, 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 the Second World War Evetts 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 Establishment (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.