Robert Bray (British Army officer)
| Sir Robert Bray | |
|---|---|
 General RNHC (Bobbie) Bray GBE KCB DSO | |
| Born | 14 June 1908 |
| Died |
1983 (aged 74 or 75) Warminster |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1928–1971 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held |
185th Infantry Brigade 29th Infantry Brigade 56th (London) Infantry Division Southern Command Allied Forces Northern Europe |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
General Sir Robert Napier Hubert Campbell (Bobbie) Bray GBE KCB DSO* (1908–1983) was a British soldier, deputy Supreme Commander Europe of NATO's Allied Command Europe from 1967 to 1970.
Education
Bray was educated at St Ronan's School, Worthing,[1] followed by Gresham's School, Holt, and the Royal Military Academy.
Career
Rober Bray was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment on 2 February 1928.[2]
He served during World War II in North West Europe and the Middle East[2] being promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel on 19 October 1942.
He became a Brigadier on the General Staff at the British Army of the Rhine in 1950 and then Director of Land-Air Warfare and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Standardization at the War Office in 1954.[2] He was promoted to major-general on 29 October 1955 and became General Officer Commanding 56th Infantry Division in 1957.[2] He then became GOC British Land Forces in the Arabian Peninsula in 1959 and GOC Middle East Land Forces in 1960.[2]
He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 27 February 1961 and served as GOC-in-C at Southern Command from 1961 to 1963.[2] He was promoted to full general on 25 February 1965. He was the Honorary Colonel of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment from 1965 to 1975. He served as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe between 1963 and 1967 and as Deputy Supreme Commander Europe at NATO's Allied Command between May 1967 and December 1970,[2] succeeding Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Pike. He retired on 9 March 1971.[2]
Honours
- 1944 – Distinguished Service Order for gallant and distinguished services in Normandy[3]
- 1945 – Bar to Distinguished Service Order for gallant and distinguished services in north west Europe[4]
- 1952 – Commander of the Order of the British Empire[5]
- 1956 – Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)[6]
- 1962 – Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)[7]
- 1966 – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)[8]
- Colonel of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, October 1965 to July 1975
- Mentioned in Despatches North West Frontier 1935
- Mentioned in Despatches 20 December 1940
References
- ↑ St Ronan's School
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36679. p. 4044. 31 August 1944. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37061. p. 1. 1 May 1945. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39555. p. 3013. 5 June 1952. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40960. p. 6. 28 December 1956. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 42552. p. 2. 1 January 1962. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43854. p. 3. 1 January 1966. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
- I Will Plant Me a Tree by Steve Benson and Martin Crossley Evans (James & James, London, 2002) ISBN 0-907383-92-0
- Military Career of RNHC Bray at ordersofbattle.com
- Glorious Gloucesters
- The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)
- Honours and Awards of the Glosters
- Multinational Commands RAF
- Generals.dk
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Nigel Poett |
GOC-in-C Southern Command 1961–1963 |
Succeeded by Sir Kenneth Darling |
| Preceded by Sir Harold Pyman |
Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe 1963—1967 |
Succeeded by Sir Kenneth Darling |
| Preceded by Sir Thomas Pike |
Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe 1967–1970 |
Succeeded by Desmond Fitzpatrick |