Sir Norman Arthur
Born(1931-03-06)6 March 1931
Died18 December 2023(2023-12-18) (aged 92)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service1951–1988
RankLieutenant-General
Commands heldRoyal Scots Dragoon Guards
7th Armoured Brigade
3rd Armoured Division
General Officer Commanding Scotland
Battles/warsOperation Banner
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Lieutenant-General Sir John Norman Stewart Arthur, KCB, CVO (6 March 1931 – 18 December 2023) was the General Officer Commanding in Scotland.

Military career

Educated at Eton College and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Arthur was commissioned into the Royal Scots Greys in 1951.[1] At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome he was part of the British equestrian team for the three-day event; he withdrew after the cross-country phase.[2]

Arthur was appointed Commanding Officer of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in 1972[1] and mentioned in despatches for service in Northern Ireland in 1974 during The Troubles.[3] He became Commander of 7th Armoured Brigade in 1976.[1]

Arthur went on to be General Officer Commanding 3rd Armoured Division in 1980 and Director of Personal Services (Army) in 1983.[1] He was given the colonelcy of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in 1984, a position he held until 1998.[4] He was appointed General Officer Commanding Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1985; he retired in 1988.[1]

In 1996 he became Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway Region,[5] and held this post until succeeded by Malcolm Ross in March 2006.[6]

Personal life and death

In 1960 he married Theresa Mary Hopkinson; they went on to have two sons (one of whom died) and a daughter.[1] He married again in 2012 to Jillian Andrews.[7]

Arthur died on 18 December 2023, at the age of 92.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Debrett's People of Today 1994
  2. ^ Olympic Sports
  3. ^ "No. 46527". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 March 1975. p. 3978.
  4. ^ "The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) at". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 14 August 2004. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  5. ^ Frost's Scottish Who's Who Archived 19 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant Of The Stewartry Sir Malcolm Ross Retires". DGWGO. 25 October 2018. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  7. ^ Announcements Archived 10 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine The Telegraph
  8. ^ Williams, Katie (19 December 2023). "Former Governor of Edinburgh Castle Lieutenant General Sir Norman Arthur dies age 92". Edinburgh Live. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Lieutenant General Sir Norman Arthur, KCB, CVO". The Telegraph. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
Military offices Preceded byHenry Dalzell-Payne General Officer Commanding the 3rd Armoured Division 1980–1982 Succeeded byAntony Walker Preceded bySir Alexander Boswell GOC Scotland 1985–1988 Succeeded bySir John MacMillan Honorary titles Preceded bySir Michael Herries Lord Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright 1996–2006 Succeeded bySir Malcolm Ross
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