Robert Bray (British Army officer)
British Army general (1908–1983)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
General Sir Robert Napier Hubert Campbell Bray GBE KCB DSO* (14 June 1908 – 14 August 1983) was a British Army officer who served as Deputy Supreme Commander Europe of NATO's Allied Command Europe from 1967 to 1970.
Sir Robert Bray | |
|---|---|
Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Bray on an inspection on Bornholm, April 1964 | |
| Nickname | "Bobbie" |
| Born | 14 June 1908 |
| Died | 14 August 1983 (aged 75) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
Branch |  British Army |
Service years | 1928–1971 |
Rank | General |
| Service number | 39414 |
| Unit | Duke of Wellington's Regiment |
| Commands | 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 185th Infantry Brigade 29th Infantry Brigade 56th (London) Armoured Division Southern Command Allied Forces Northern Europe |
Conflicts | World War II |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Distinguished Service Order |
Education
Bray was educated at St Ronan's School, Worthing,[1] followed by Gresham's School, Holt, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.[2]
Career
Bray was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment on 2 February 1928.[3]
He served in North West Europe and the Middle East during the Second World War[3] being promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel on 19 October 1942.[4]
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 Organization Standardization at the War Office in December 1954.[3] Promoted to major-general on 29 October 1955, he became General Officer Commanding 56th (London) Armoured Division in April 1957.[3] He then became GOC British Land Forces in the Arabian Peninsula in 1959 and GOC Middle East Land Forces in 1960.[3]
He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 27 February 1961 and served as GOC-in-C at Southern Command from August 1961 to September 1963.[3] He was promoted to full general on 25 February 1965. He was the colonel-in-chief of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment from 1965 to 1975.[5] He served as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe between November 1963 and February 1967 and as Deputy Supreme Commander Europe at NATO's Allied Command between May 1967 and December 1970,[3] succeeding Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Pike. He retired on 9 March 1971.[3]
Honours
- 1944 – Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for gallant and distinguished services in Normandy[6]
- 1945 – Bar to Companion of the Distinguished Service Order insignia for gallant and distinguished services in north west Europe[7]
- 1952 – Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)[8]
- 1956 – Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)[9]
- 1962 – Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)[10]
- 1966 – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)[11]
- 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