Harold Halcrow was born in Kenya on March 9, 1939, and educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh and Lord Wandsworth's College in Hampshire.
After finishing school he went to the University of London to study law and during this time met his
wife, Anne.
He broke off from his studies in 1960 to carry out a period of national service and decided to stay on in the Army afterwards.
The move was to mark the beginning of an illustrious 34-year career as an Army officer. Major Halcrow held a number of regimental appointments with the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglians, including platoon commander, during which time he was posted to Bermuda.
Between 1974 and 1979 he was a company commander with the battalion, in charge of 120 men, and chief instructor at the armoured personnel vehicle wing at the Royal Armoured Corps school in Bovington. In 1978, Major Halcrow returned to Edinburgh as a staff officer in charge of policy on home defence and emergency planning for Army HQ in Scotland.
However, in the early 1980s he was sent to Northern Ireland, where he served with the 10th Battalion The Ulster Defence Regiment as an intelligence and security officer.
On his return to Scotland in 1982, he assumed the post of training major for Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities Officer Training Corps, but his return was to be short lived, following Northern Cyprus' declaration of independence from the rest of the island, supported by Turkey but unrecognised by the rest of the world.
His experience in Ireland of an island divided saw him diverted overseas in 1985 to become deputy commander of the British Support Regiment to UN Forces in Cyprus.
Major Halcrow would not return home for almost a decade as further postings saw him assigned to positions in Germany and Holland.
He was made MBE in 1990 and retired from the Army three years later to take up a civilian role as a retired officer at Army HQ Scotland in Craigiehall.
His wife Anne said: "Harold was a people person. He lived for his family and also enjoyed travelling and fly fishing.
"He was also a volunteer case worker for the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Families Association, dealing with welfare cases from serving and ex-service personnel – just another example of what a people person he was and how he went out of his way to help wherever he could."
Major Halcrow died suddenly on June 29 leaving behind his wife, brother Jimmy and his children Louise and Graham.
The full article contains 454 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
