Roy Urquhart
Encyclopedia
Major General
Robert "Roy" Elliott Urquhart, CB
, DSO
(28 November 1901 - 13 December 1988) was a British
military officer. He became prominent for his role commanding the British 1st Airborne Division
during Operation Market Garden
.
in 1920. When stationed in Malta
with his battalion he became friends with Academy Award winning actor David Niven
. In his autobiography, "The Moon's A Balloon", Niven described Urquhart as, "A serious soldier of great charm and warmth..."
before an appointment as a staff officer in the 3rd Division in the UK. Thereafter, his career accelerated. Between 1941 and 1942, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and commanded the 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
until 1943, when he was appointed as a staff officer in the 51st Infantry Division
, which was stationed in North Africa. For a short time, he commanded the British 231st Infantry Brigade
, which faced action in Sicily
.
) had been killed in Italy
, and his successor, Brigadier
Ernest Down
had been given a command in India. Ironically, Urquhart was prone to airsickness and had never commanded or, for that matter, been a member of an airborne unit. Although a newcomer to airborne operations, Urquhart commanded his division during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944 as it was dropped into Arnhem
in the Netherlands
in an attempt to secure a crossing over the River Rhine. For nine days Urquhart's division fought unsupported against armoured units of the II SS Panzer Corps
. Suffering increasingly heavy casualties, the British airborne forces desperately held on to an ever-shrinking defensive perimeter until orders were received for the remnants of the division to withdraw across the Rhine on 25 September. During these nine days of heavy fighting the 1st Airborne Division had lost over three-quarters of its strength. Shattered as a fighting formation, the division was withdrawn to the UK and never saw action in World War II
again. Urquhart was awarded the Dutch
Bronze Lion
for his command.
, the Allied occupation of Norway
. During its time in Norway, the division was tasked with supervising the surrender of the German forces, as well as preventing the sabotage of vital military and civilian facilities. Due to delays in troop arrivals, Urquhart ended up driving into Oslo
in a captured German staff car, accompanied only by four military policemen
and two platoons from 2nd Battalion the South Staffordshire Regiment
. Until the arrival of other units from Force 134, as well as the Headquarters of Allied Forces, Norway, Major General Urquhart and his headquarter staff had complete control over all Norwegian activities. This meant that it was Urquhart who welcomed Crown Prince Olaf of Norway and three ministers representing the Norwegian Government when they arrived on a Royal Navy
cruiser. General Thorne
arrived on 13th May to take command of all Allied troops in Norway and at the end of August the 1st Airborne Division returned to the UK and disbanded. Urquhart was rewarded with the Norwegian
Order of St Olaf.
(1950–1952) during the Malayan Emergency
. He also commanded the 16th Airborne Division
, a Territorial Army formation, from 1947 to 1948. Urquhart retired from the army in 1955.
Urquhart was portrayed by Sean Connery
in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, for which he himself served as a military consultant. Despite his earlier-mentioned friendship with David Niven, in a publication about the filming of the movie, he was quoted as saying that he wasn't much of a movie fan himself and didn't understand why his daughters were so excited at Connery's selection to play him.
He is the subject of the biography
Urquhart of Arnhem (ISBN 0-08-041318-8) by John Baynes
.
Urquhart and his wife Pamela had four children, among them Elspeth Campbell
(wife of the former leader of the Liberal Democrat party Menzies Campbell
) and Suki Urquhart, author of The Scottish Gardener.
In his memoirs, Campbell says that Urquhart told Elspeth's first husband, Philip Grant-Suttie, "there's no need to be formal; just call me General", and that he also insisted on tasting all the food and champagne for Elspeth and Menzies' wedding before paying for it. He is also known to have told his daughter never to trust men who bought half-bottles of wine; Campbell bought Elspeth a full bottle on their first date.
Major General Urquhart died on 13 December 1988, aged 87 years.
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Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Robert "Roy" Elliott Urquhart, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(28 November 1901 - 13 December 1988) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
military officer. He became prominent for his role commanding the British 1st Airborne Division
British 1st Airborne Division
The 1st Airborne Division was a division of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The division was formed in 1941, after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded an airborne force...
during Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
.
Early career
Educated at St. Paul's School, London, Urquhart attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst before being commissioned into the Highland Light InfantryHighland Light Infantry
The Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
in 1920. When stationed in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
with his battalion he became friends with Academy Award winning actor David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
. In his autobiography, "The Moon's A Balloon", Niven described Urquhart as, "A serious soldier of great charm and warmth..."
Second World War service
Urquhart was serving in India during the early years of the Second World War. He remained there until 1941 when he was posted to North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
before an appointment as a staff officer in the 3rd Division in the UK. Thereafter, his career accelerated. Between 1941 and 1942, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and commanded the 2nd Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles....
until 1943, when he was appointed as a staff officer in the 51st Infantry Division
British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (World War II)
For the First World War unit, see 51st Division .The 51st Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
, which was stationed in North Africa. For a short time, he commanded the British 231st Infantry Brigade
British 231st Infantry Brigade
.- History :The 231st Infantry Brigade was a Second World War British Army unit, originally formed from the 1st Malta Brigade.It was composed of regular British Army battalions, was stationed on Malta at the start of the Second World War...
, which faced action in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
Arnhem
Until 1944, he was a senior staff officer in XII Corps. However, in that year, he was given command of the 1st Airborne Division. Its former commander (Major-General George F. HopkinsonGeorge F. Hopkinson
Major-General George Frederick Hopkinson OBE MC was a British Army officer who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the Second World War...
) had been killed in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and his successor, Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Ernest Down
Ernest Down
Lieutenant-General Sir Ernest Edward Down KBE CB was a British General during World War II.-Military career:Ernest Down was commissioned into the Dorset Regiment in February 1923. He served in World War II being appointed Commander of the 2nd Parachute Brigade in North Africa in 1942...
had been given a command in India. Ironically, Urquhart was prone to airsickness and had never commanded or, for that matter, been a member of an airborne unit. Although a newcomer to airborne operations, Urquhart commanded his division during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944 as it was dropped into Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in an attempt to secure a crossing over the River Rhine. For nine days Urquhart's division fought unsupported against armoured units of the II SS Panzer Corps
II SS Panzer Corps
The II SS Panzer Corps was a Nazi German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II.- Formation - Kharkov :...
. Suffering increasingly heavy casualties, the British airborne forces desperately held on to an ever-shrinking defensive perimeter until orders were received for the remnants of the division to withdraw across the Rhine on 25 September. During these nine days of heavy fighting the 1st Airborne Division had lost over three-quarters of its strength. Shattered as a fighting formation, the division was withdrawn to the UK and never saw action in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
again. Urquhart was awarded the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Bronze Lion
Bronze Lion
The Bronze Lion is a high Royal Dutch award, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership in battle favouring The Netherlands; in some special cases it can however be awarded to Dutch or foreign civilians. It was first created in 1944 and has since been issued 1210 times...
for his command.
Norway
In May 1945, following the German surrender, Urquhart led a reconstituted 1st Airborne Division as the advanced guard of Force 134 in Operation DoomsdayOperation Doomsday
In Operation Doomsday, the British 1st Airborne Division acted as a police and military force during the Allied occupation of Norway in May 1945, immediately after the victory in Europe during the Second World War. The division maintained law and order until the arrival of the remainder of Force...
, the Allied occupation of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. During its time in Norway, the division was tasked with supervising the surrender of the German forces, as well as preventing the sabotage of vital military and civilian facilities. Due to delays in troop arrivals, Urquhart ended up driving into Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
in a captured German staff car, accompanied only by four military policemen
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and two platoons from 2nd Battalion the South Staffordshire Regiment
South Staffordshire Regiment
The South Staffordshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 38th Regiment of Foot and the 80th Regiment of Foot. In 1959 the regiment was amlagamated with the North Staffordshire Regiment to form the Staffordshire Regiment...
. Until the arrival of other units from Force 134, as well as the Headquarters of Allied Forces, Norway, Major General Urquhart and his headquarter staff had complete control over all Norwegian activities. This meant that it was Urquhart who welcomed Crown Prince Olaf of Norway and three ministers representing the Norwegian Government when they arrived on a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
cruiser. General Thorne
Andrew Thorne
General Sir Augustus Francis Andrew Nicol Thorne KCB, CMG, DSO & Two Bars was a soldier in the British Army who served in the First and Second World Wars.-Military career:...
arrived on 13th May to take command of all Allied troops in Norway and at the end of August the 1st Airborne Division returned to the UK and disbanded. Urquhart was rewarded with the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Order of St Olaf.
Post-war service
Following the end of the war Urquhart served in several staff positions, including service as the General Officer Commanding MalayaMalaya Command
The Malaya Command was a command of British Commonwealth forces formed in the 1920s for the coordination of the defences of Malaya and Singapore.-History:...
(1950–1952) during the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. He also commanded the 16th Airborne Division
16th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)
The 16th Airborne Division was an airborne division of the British Territorial Army.It was raised in 1947, to compensate for the loss of the 1st Airborne Division, which had been disbanded in 1945 and the 6th Airborne Division which was going to be disbanded in 1948...
, a Territorial Army formation, from 1947 to 1948. Urquhart retired from the army in 1955.
Later life
After leaving the army Urquhart became an executive in the heavy engineering industry, retiring in 1970. In 1958 Urquhart published Arnhem: Britain's Infamous Airborne Assault of World War II (ISBN 0-9644704-3-8) detailing his exploits in the battle.Urquhart was portrayed by Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, for which he himself served as a military consultant. Despite his earlier-mentioned friendship with David Niven, in a publication about the filming of the movie, he was quoted as saying that he wasn't much of a movie fan himself and didn't understand why his daughters were so excited at Connery's selection to play him.
He is the subject of the biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
Urquhart of Arnhem (ISBN 0-08-041318-8) by John Baynes
John Baynes
John Baynes , was an English lawyer and miscellaneous writer.Batnes was born at Middleham, Yorkshire in 1758, and educated at Richmond Grammar School in the same county, under the Rev. Dr. Temple. Proceeding to Trinity College, Cambridge, he graduated B.A. in 1777, gaining one of Dr. Smith's prizes...
.
Urquhart and his wife Pamela had four children, among them Elspeth Campbell
Elspeth Campbell
Elspeth Mary, Lady Campbell is the wife of the former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell.Elspeth Urquhart was born in New Delhi, India, one of four children of Major-General Roy Urquhart and his wife Pamela...
(wife of the former leader of the Liberal Democrat party Menzies Campbell
Menzies Campbell
Sir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
) and Suki Urquhart, author of The Scottish Gardener.
In his memoirs, Campbell says that Urquhart told Elspeth's first husband, Philip Grant-Suttie, "there's no need to be formal; just call me General", and that he also insisted on tasting all the food and champagne for Elspeth and Menzies' wedding before paying for it. He is also known to have told his daughter never to trust men who bought half-bottles of wine; Campbell bought Elspeth a full bottle on their first date.
Major General Urquhart died on 13 December 1988, aged 87 years.
Recommended reading
- Urquhart, R. E., Arnhem: Britain's Infamous Airborne Assault of WW II, Royal Pub. Co., London 1995 (1st edition 1958)
- Private Papers of Major General R E Urquhart CB DSO can be found in the Imperial War Museum, Documents and Sound section, ref: Documents.15783 (07/64/1-12).
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