HE had a remarkable career as a soldier, politician and engineer and, aged 106, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Saunders was Scotland’s oldest man at the time of his death.

Now it has emerged that Lt Col. Saunders left £750,000 to his former school in his will following his death in 2013.

In fact, Lt Col Saunders left almost his entire estate to The Glasgow Academy to help fund a new Science and Technology building at the school.

The £15m project at the school’s main Kelvinbridge campus features 15 state-of-the-art science labs, a 178-seat auditorium, a food technology department and a range of study facilities.

The Academy has named the building in honour of Lt. Col Saunders' generous gift and 'The Saunders Centre' opens to pupils today.

After leaving the school in 1923, Lt Col Saunders qualified as a chartered civil engineer before signing up to join the army, spending 25 years in the forces. As part of the British Expeditionary

Force sent to France in 1939, he was one of many British troops to be evacuated when it fell to Nazi occupation.

During the war, he served in five countries as part of the Royal Engineers, fighting for the Western Desert Force in Egypt and the 8th Army in North Africa.

He also fought in the 2nd Polish Corps of the 8th Army in the Italian campaign and the 3rd Corps during the civil war in Greece.

At the age of 94 he stood as an independent on the Stirling Council elections and was the oldest candidate in Scotland. During a long and distinguished career in politics, he served for 38 years, as a member of Stirling Town Council and later Central Regional Council.

While Lt Col Saunders, whose wife predeceased him, had no children of his own, he had a long and active interest in the school and was a strong supporter of The Glasgow Academy’s plan to build the new SciTech building.

He visited the school on several occasions over the years to attend reunions and other events, one of which marked his 105th birthday in 2011.

Peter Brodie, rector of The Glasgow Academy, said the £750,000 bequest would support science at the school for years to come.

He said: “Frank was a hugely impressive man, both in his military and later careers. He possessed an enormous spirit and an inquiring mind, and he had a lifelong, very keen interest in the progress of the school and its pupils.

“This is one of the largest bequests we have ever received and Frank’s generosity will ensure his legacy of exemplary citizenship and fascination with science will be passed on at The Academy for generations to come.”

Former pupils of the school include BBC founder Lord Reith, Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie, former First Minister Donald Dewar, historian Niall Ferguson and Scottish rugby internationalist John Beattie.