1 Sir Eric Yarrow, one of the best known figures in shipbuilding, was born in Glasgow in 1920.

In his younger years he fought in the Second World War, rose to the rank of Major and was awarded an MBE for his outstanding service in the Far East.

Back home he succeeded his father Harold as the chairman of the family business, navigating the firm through some turbulent times.

2 Educated at Marlborough College, he studied engineering at Glasgow University and completed an apprenticeship at Weirs in Cathcart.

He spent 37 years at the helm of Yarrow’s, which was founded by his grandfather Albert in 1865.

During this time he oversaw huge changes with changes in the Royal Navy and the fall in demand for warships. He fought unsuccessfully against the nationalisation of the yard and it was taken under government control in 1977.

3 After retiring, Sir Eric became chairman of the Clydesdale Bank and was involved in its takeover by National Australia Bank.

He played a vital role in public life as chairman of the Erskine Hospital, where he personally fundraised, and as president of the Burma Star Association.

4 In later life he lived in Kilmacolm, where he was past captain of the local golf club, and he was also a member of the Royal and Ancient.

He was a huge supporter of charities, particularly Children in Poverty.

5 Sir Eric died in September 2018, aged 98. Obituaries noted his war-time service in the Burma campaign.

During the near-thousand-mile retreat to India, after the Japanese invasion of Burma, two of his assignments, he wrote in his memories, “were to blow up bridges and, more ironically, blow up ships of the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company built by Yarrows; it was quicker to blow them up than to build them.”