The death of Lieutenant General Sir Robert “Robin” Ross, former National Chair of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, has been announced.
Sir Robin joined the Royal Marines in 1957 and retired in 1996 as Commandant General Royal Marines. During his 39-year career, one notable role was in the aftermath of the Gulf War.
He was appointed the British commander of Operation Haven, in which some 6,000 Allied troops were tasked with protecting the people of Northern Iraq after Saddam Hussein had defeated their rebellion in March 1991. This action was credited with saving thousands of lives.
From 2000 to 2010, he was National Chair of the trustees of SSAFA.
He is remembered fondly by those still involved with SSAFA, including National Vice Chair Lady Alex Walmsley, who said:
“Robin always had the most cheery smile and was one of those people who made you feel uplifted by being in his company.
“He was the driving force behind establishing our Corporate Friends programme, believing that the defence industry should be better connected with SSAFA to understand the work we do.”
Another SSAFA trustee, David Rowe, added:
“He was the chairman who asked me to advise SSAFA and then to become a trustee. Robin had a natural ability to charm people that was most obvious when he hosted a group of us at number 10 when Gordon Brown was PM. Robin always gave me confidence, and I was felt he would ‘have my back’ if needed.”
On his retirement in March 2010, Sir Robin was presented with the SSAFA Gold Medal for his commitment, understanding, integrity, and exceptional service to SSAFA. This award was approved in 2008 by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for exceptional service over a period of 10 or more years, and has been presented only three times since its introduction.
All at SSAFA send their best wishes to Sir Robin’s family and friends.
