Disambiguation: for the Scottish character actor, see Robert Urquhart (actor).
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.
Urquhart attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst before being commissioned into the Highland Light Infantry in 1920. When stationed...
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Disambiguation: for the Scottish character actor, see Robert Urquhart (actor).
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.
Urquhart attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst before being commissioned into the Highland Light Infantry 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..."
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 Africa 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...
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