Robert Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott (1897-1966)

(Robert) Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott
(Robert) Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott
Born	August 21, 1897 ; India
Died	December 15, 1966 (age 69) ; Montrose
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1913–45
Rank	Major General
Unit	Black Watch
Awards	- CB; - CBE; DSO; MC; Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA)
Other work	Lord Lieutenant, Kincardineshire

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descendants

Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount was born 21 August 1897 in India to John Campbell Arbuthnott (1858-1923) and Jeanne Sinclair Hamilton (-1947) and died 15 December 1966 Montrose, Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Ursula Collingwood (-1989) 10 January 1924 .

Major General Robert Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott CB, CBE, DSO, MC, DL. (21 August 1897 – 15 December 1966).

He was educated at Fettes College and RMC Sandhurst. He served in both World Wars and was mentioned in despatches. His major wartime appointments include Palestine 1938–1939 (despatches), GSO(2) Staff College 1938, commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade in Italy 1943–1944 and the 78th Infantry Division 1944–1946. After the war, he served as Chief of the British Military Mission to the Egyptian Army in 1946, Chief of Staff of the Scottish Command in 1948–1949, Commander of the Highland District and 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (Territorial Army) 1949–52, and retired in 1952 as a Major General.

Education

Fettes College
Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
Staff College 1931

War service

14 July 1915 commissioned into the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
1915–1918 served World War I (France & Belgium, 19 September 1916 – 18 April 1918) (wounded)
3 December 1917 – 16 January 1918 Company Commander, The Black Watch
March 1931 student, Junior Division, Staff College, Camberley
21 January 1933 – 6 December 1934 Adjutant, 2nd Battalion The Black Watch (UK)
7 December 1934 – 15 October 1936 General Staff Officer 3rd grade (GSO3), War Office
16 October 1936 – 18 December 1937 Brigade Major, 7th Infantry Brigade (Southern Command, UK)
16 December 1938 – 17 June 1940 General Staff Officer 2nd grade (GSO2), Staff College, Camberley (temporary; local Lt.Col.)
4 August 1941 – 18 June 1942 Colonel General Staff
19 June 1942 – 9 May 1943 Brigadier General Staff
10 May 1943 – 24 September 1943 Commander, 198th Infantry Brigade (UK)
29 September 1943 – 10 October 1944 Commander, 11th Infantry Brigade (Italy, Egypt, Italy), also:
9 July 1944 – 30 July 1944 acting General Officer Commanding, 78th Infantry Division (Italy, Egypt)
1 August 1944 – 21 August 1944 acting General Officer Commanding, 78th Infantry Division (Egypt)
10 October 1944 – 17 November 1944 acting General Officer Commanding, 78th Infantry Division (Italy, Egypt)
17 November 1944–1945 General Officer Commanding, 78th Infantry Division (Italy, Austria)
1946–1947 Chief of British Military Mission to the Egyptian Army
1948–1949 Chief of Staff, Scottish Command
1949 – 1 November 1952 General Officer Commanding, 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, Territorial Army and Highland District
1 November 1952 – 21 August 1957 Regular Army Reserve of Officers
Honorary Colonel of The Black Watch (Territorial Army), 20 June 1952-19??
Colonel of The Black Watch, 31 March 1960 – 1 June 1964

Military ranks

2nd Lieutenant 14 July 1915 [13522]
Lieutenant 15 January 1917
A/Captain 3 December 1917 – 16 January 1918, 17 February 1918 – 10 July 1919
Captain 2 January 1924
Major 1 August 1938
A/Lt.Colonel 18 June 1940 – 17 September 1940
T/Lt.Colonel 18 September 1940 – 3 February 1942
WS/Lt.Colonel 4 February 1942
Lt.Colonel 1 October 1944
A/Colonel 4 August 1941 – 3 February 1942
T/Colonel 4 February 1942 – 1 January 1945
Colonel 2 January 1945
A/Brigadier 19 June 1942 – 18 December 1942
T/Brigadier 19 December 1942 – 9 October 1945
A/Maj.General 10 October 1944 – 9 October 1945
T/Maj.General 10 October 1945
Maj.General 22 December 1946, seniority 27 March 1945 (retd 29 November 1952)

Decorations

Companion of the Order of the Bath awarded 5 July 1945 for gallant and distinguished services in Italy.^[1]
Commander of the Order of the British Empire awarded 21 December 1944 for gallant and distinguished services in Italy
Distinguished Service Order awarded 1939? Palestine
Military Cross awarded 22 April 1918 for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of a raiding party. He took an active part in the preliminary reconnaissances and training and led his men with great success in the raid, inspiring them by his courage and keenness.
Mentioned in Dispatches (MiD) 24 May 1918 ?
Mentioned in Dispatches (MiD) 25 April 1939 Palestine
Mentioned in Dispatches (MiD) 24 August 1944 for gallant and distinguished services in Italy
Commander of the Legion of Merit (U.S.A.) awarded 2 August 1945 for distinguished services in the cause of the Allies.^[2]
British War Medal
Victory Medal
Palestine 1936–39 Medal & Clasp

Titles

Colonel of the Black Watch (RHR; 1960–1964)
Awarded the Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA)
Deputy Lieutenant (DL), Kincardineshire (1959)
Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire (1960–1966)

Siblings

Offspring of John Campbell Arbuthnott (1858-1923) and unknown parent
Name	Birth	Death	Joined with
Jeannie ("Henny") Arbuthnott (1888-1970)
Margaret ("Bunda") Ogilvy Arbuthnott (1892-1983)
Hugh Hamilton Arbuthnott (1894-1915)
Robert Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott (1897-1966)	21 August 1897 India	15 December 1966 Montrose, Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom	Ursula Collingwood (-1989)

Family

Lord Arbuthnott married, 10 January 1924, Ursula Collingwood (died 20 December 1989), daughter of Sir William Collingwood, KBE of Dedham Grove, Colchester, Essex. They had three sons (including John Campbell Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott, KT who succeeded him) and one daughter.

Children

Offspring of Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount and Ursula Collingwood (-1989)^¢
Name	Birth	Death	Joined with
John Campbell Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott (1924-2012)
(William) David Arbuthnott (1927-)
Hugh Sinclair Arbuthnott (1929-)
Christian ("Christie") Keith Arbuthnott (1933-)

References

Bing, Hon Mrs Christy (1999). The Lairds of Arbuthnott. Agnate Press. ISBN 0-9535923-0-8.

Footnotes

^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37161, p. 3490, 1945-07-03. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37204, p. 3962, 1945-07-31. Retrieved 2008-08-05.

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscount of Arbuthnott
Family tree
British Army Officers 1939–1945

Honorary titles
Preceded by The Viscount of Arbuthnott	Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire 1960–1966	Succeeded by Geoffrey Saunders
Peerage of Scotland
Preceded by John Ogilvy Arbuthnott	Viscount of Arbuthnott 1960–1966	Succeeded by John Campbell Arbuthnott

Footnotes (including sources)

‡ General

His mother was " only daughter of Robert Hamilton of Elmhurst, Co Kerr."; his wife was "daughter of Sir William Collingwood, KBE of Dedham Grove, Colchester, Essex."
http://www.kittybrewster.com/members/e_1.htm f. DD (D)

¢ Children

John married Mary Oxley, niece of the wife of the 14th Viscount; they had a son and a daughter.
David married Sonja Thomson; they had a son and two daughters.
Hugh married Anne Terdre; they had a son and a daughter.
Christie married Peter John Bing; they had three sons and a daughter.

Robin Patterson

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.

[1] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37161, p. 3490, 1945-07-03. Retrieved 2008-08-05.

[2] London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37204, p. 3962, 1945-07-31. Retrieved 2008-08-05.

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