Gwendolen 'Bunty' Sergant

Gwendolen Sergant (17 March 1926 - 1 June 1979) was a Major and engineer in the Women's Royal Army Corps for over twenty years, serving with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. One of her appointments involved being in charge of the British army's whole fleet of 160,000 vehicles. She was President of the Women's Engineering Society from 1974 to 1975.

Early life and education Gwendolen Sergant was born on 17 March 1926 in Sussex into an engineering family. She was known to friends as 'Bunty'. Her father had an agricultural engineering business, which she helped out with from childhood. during which time she gained a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering. where she worked for 2 years designing fluorescent lighting.

She became Officer-in-charge of General Engineering REME 43 Command Workshop in Aldershot in 1969,

In 1975, she led a group from WES to the fourth International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES) in Cracow, Poland.

In 1979 she was promoted to Fellowship of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and was also elected as a Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.

Personal life In 1973 Gwendolen Sergant married Lt Cdr John Howard in Aldershot, who she first met while studying at Loughborough College. After their wedding, they both resigned their commissions and set up a garage and coachworks in Sussex. This was not successful because of an oil crisis, which forced them to give up the business. She then obtained her post at the University of Cambridge.

Awards BSc, C.Eng, FIMech.E., A.M.B.I.M.