Hugh Bellamy
| Hugh Bellamy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 December 1910 |
| Died | 27 November 1972 (aged 61) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1930–1958 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Commands held |
2nd Parachute Brigade (1946–48) 1st Parachute Brigade (1945–46) 6th Airlanding Brigade (1945) 1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment (1943–45) |
| Battles/wars | Palestine Emergency |
| Awards |
Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar Mentioned in Despatches (2) |
Brigadier Robert Hugh Bellamy CBE, DSO & Bar (8 December 1910 – 27 November 1972) was a senior British Army officer who commanded the 6th Airlanding Brigade during the Rhine Crossing on 24 March 1945 and in the advance across Germany during the Second World War.
Early life
Born Robert Hugh Bellamy, he was educated at Sherborne School, a British boys' independent school, and then at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
Military career
Bellamy was commissioned into the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in 1930. He served in France in 1940 and was mentioned in despatches. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1943. He served in Northwest Europe during 1944 and 1945 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1944.
Bellamy was promoted to brigadier in January 1945 and took over command of 6th Airlanding Brigade, part of 6th Airborne Division. He commanded the Brigade during Operation Varsity, the air assault landing over the Rhine on 24 March 1945, and during the advance across Germany to the Baltic. He was awarded a Bar to his DSO in 1945.
Bellamy remained in command of 6th Airlanding Brigade following its move to Palestine in 1945 and was mentioned in despatches again. He commanded the 2nd Parachute Brigade in Palestine and the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) from 1946 to 1948. He was Deputy Director of Weapons Development at the War Office from 1950 to 1952. He was Deputy General Officer Commanding Hong Kong and General Officer Commanding 40th Infantry Division from 1954 to 1956. Bellamy was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1956. He was Chief of Staff, 1 Corps (BAOR) from 1956 to 1958. He retired from the British Army in 1958, and lived in Belgravia, London.
He married Kathleen Louisa Isabel Lascelles in 1940 with whom he was to have one son and one daughter. The marriage was dissolved in 1953.
Brigadier Hugh Bellamy died on 27 November 1972.
References
- Allen, Peter. (1980). One More River: The Rhine Crossings of 1945. Charles Scribner Sons.
- Harclerode, Peter. (2000). "Go To It!": The Illustrated History of the 6th Airborne Division. Caxton.
- Norton, G. G. (1971). The Red Devils: The Story of the British Airborne Forces (Leo Cooper Famous Regiment Series). Leo Cooper Ltd.
- (1981). Who Was Who, Vol V11: 1971–1980.