Major-General Robert Harry Bertram Arkwright, (30 July 1903 – 14 November 1971) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer who served in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and later commanded the 2nd Infantry Division.

Early life

Arkwright was born in

Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead to the north, Chislehurst to the n ...

, Kent, England, the son of Bertram Harry Godfrey Arkwright (1879–1949) and his wife Grace Emma Julia Hurt. Francis Arkwright was his younger brother. In 1927 Arkwright married Kathleen Gladys Hanbury. He lived at Pen y Bryn Hall in Montgomery.

Military career

After attending the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...

, Arkwright was commissioned into the

12th Royal Lancers The 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army first formed in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First World War and the Second World War. The regiment survived the immediate post-war ...

on 31 January 1924. He attended the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which ...

from 1934 to 1935. Arkwright served in the

, initially at the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

as a General Staff Officer Grade 2 (GSO2), then as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General for the 1st Armoured Division during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

, as a General Staff Officer with the 8th Armoured Division and as brigadier responsible for

Armoured Fighting Vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (British English) or armored fighting vehicle (American English) (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by vehicle armour, armour, generally combining operational mobility with Offensive (military), offensive a ...

s in the Eighth Army, before being made commander of the 23rd Armoured Brigade in 1943. As commander of the 23rd Armoured Brigade, he took part in the Sicily landings, the Italy landings, both part of the Italian Campaign, and later the Civil War in Greece.Major-General Robert Harry Bertram Arkwright
/ref> After the war he became

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

the 2nd Infantry Division in 1946, Director of the

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the armoured arm of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 and the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle. It includes most of the Ar ...

in 1947 and General Officer Commanding the

56th (London) Armoured Division The 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army infantry division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the trenches of the Western Front during the First World War ...

in 1948. His last appointment was as General Officer Commanding 7th Armoured Division from 1949 until his retirement in 1951.

References

External links

British Army Officers 1939–1945
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Arkwright, Robert 1903 births 1971 deaths War Office personnel in World War II Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley People of the Greek Civil War British Army major generals 12th Royal Lancers officers Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Distinguished Service Order British Army brigadiers of World War II People from Bickley Military personnel from the London Borough of Bromley