Editing Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott

{{Short description|British Army general (1897–1966)}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox military person 
|name=Robert Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott
|image=8TH ARMY PERSONALITIES NA23572 (cropped).jpg
|image_size=
|caption=Major General Arbuthnott in 1945
|birth_date={{birth date|df=yes|1897|8|21}}
|death_date={{death date and age|df=yes|1966|12|15|1897|8|21}}
|birth_place=[[British Raj|British India]]
|death_place=[[Hillside, Angus|Hillside]], [[Montrose, Angus]], [[Scotland]]
|placeofburial=
|nickname=
|allegiance=United Kingdom
|branch=[[British Army]]
|serviceyears=1914–1952
|servicenumber=13522
|rank=[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]]
|unit=[[Black Watch]]
|commands=[[198th (East Lancashire) Brigade|198th Infantry Brigade]]<br/>[[11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East|11th Infantry Brigade]]<br/>[[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|78th Infantry Division]]<br/>[[51st (Highland) Division|51st (Highland) Infantry Division]]
|battles=[[First World War]]<br/>[[1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine|Arab revolt in Palestine]]<br/>[[Second World War]]
|awards=[[Companion of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Distinguished Service Order]]<br/>[[Military Cross]]<br/>[[Mentioned in Despatches]] (3)<br/>[[Legion of Merit]] (United States)
|relations=
|laterwork=[[Lord Lieutenant]] of [[Kincardineshire]]
}}
[[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] '''Robert Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CB|CBE||DSO|MC|DL}} (21 August 1897 – 15 December 1966) was a senior [[British Army]] officer who served in both the [[First World War]] and the [[Second World War]].

==Military career==
He was educated at [[Fettes College]] and the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]. He was [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a [[second lieutenant]] into the [[Black Watch]] on 14 July 1915<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29228 |date=13 July 1915 |page=6841}}</ref> and was [[mentioned in dispatches]] and wounded in action during the [[World War I|First World War]].<ref name="Officers of the British Army">{{cite web|url=https://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_ARB.html#Arbuthnott_RK|title=British Army officer histories|publisher=Unit Histories|access-date=2022-02-02}}</ref>{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=12}}

After being promoted to captain on 2 January 1924, he attended the [[Staff College, Camberley]] from 1931 to 1932, where [[Brian Horrocks]], [[Sidney Kirkman]], [[Cameron Nicholson]] and  [[Nevil Brownjohn]] were among his fellow classmates.<ref name="Officers of the British Army" />{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=12}} After service in [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]], he became an instructor at the Staff College in 1938 and then became a staff officer at [[Scottish Command]] in August 1941 during the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref name=generalsdk>{{cite web|url=http://www.generals.dk/general/Arbuthnott/Robert_Keith/Great_Britain.html|title=Arbuthnott, Robert Keith|publisher=Generals.dk|access-date=25 May 2020}}</ref> He then became commander of the [[198th (East Lancashire) Brigade|198th Brigade]] in May 1943, commander of the [[11th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East|11th Infantry Brigade]] in the [[Italian campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]] in September 1943 and then General Officer Commanding [[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|78th Infantry Division]] in the Italian campaign in November 1944.<ref name=generalsdk/><ref name="Officers of the British Army" />{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=12}}

After the war, he became Chief of the British Military Mission to the [[Egyptian Army]] in 1946, [[Chief of staff]] of [[Scottish Command]] in 1948 and General Officer Commanding [[51st (Highland) Division|51st (Highland) Infantry Division]]  and the Highland District of the [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] in 1949 before retiring from the British Army in 1952 as a major general.<ref name=generalsdk/>

In retirement he was honorary colonel of the [[Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=41997 |date=29 March 1960 |page=2362|supp=y}}</ref> He served as Deputy Lieutenant (DL), Kincardineshire in 1959 and then as [[Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire]] from 1960 to 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/arbuthnott1641.htm|title=Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott|publisher=Cracrofts Peerage|access-date=25 May 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Arms Viscount of Arbuthnott (entire).svg|thumb|250px|right|Coat of Arms of the Viscounts of Arbuthnott.]]

==Decorations==
*[[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] awarded 5 July 1945 for gallant and distinguished services in Italy.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37161 |date=3 July 1945 |page=3490|supp=y }}</ref>
*[[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] awarded 21 December 1944 for gallant and distinguished services in Italy
*[[Distinguished Service Order]] awarded 14 October 1938 for services in Palestine<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34561 |date=14 October 1938|page=6435}}</ref>
*[[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 Despatches]] 24 May 1918
*[[Mentioned in Despatches]] 25 April 1939 Palestine<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34619|page=2750|date=25 April 1939}}</ref>
*[[Mentioned in Despatches]] 24 August 1944 for gallant and distinguished services in Italy
*Commander of the [[Legion of Merit]] (USA) awarded 2 August 1945 for distinguished services in the cause of the Allies.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37204 |date=31 July 1945 |page=3962|supp=y }}</ref>

==Family==
Lord Arbuthnott married, 10 January 1924, Ursula Collingwood (died 20 December 1989), daughter of Sir William Collingwood, [[Order of the British Empire|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.<ref>Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes. Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999.</ref>

==References==
*{{cite book |last= Bing |first= Hon Mrs Christy |title= The Lairds of Arbuthnott |publisher= Agnate Press |year= 1999 |isbn= 0-9535923-0-8}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book| first=Nick| last=Smart| title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War| isbn=1844150496| year=2005| location=Barnesley| publisher=Pen & Sword}}

==External links==
*{{Hansard-contribs | mr-robert-arbuthnott | the Viscount of Arbuthnott }}
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20210823023546/http://www.kittybrewster.com/members/e_1.htm Family tree]}}
*[http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_ARB.html#Arbuthnott_RK British Army Officers 1939–1945]
*[https://www.generals.dk/general/Arbuthnott/Robert_Keith/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]

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{{S-mil}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Donald Butterworth]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|GOC 78th Infantry Division]]|years=1944–1946}}
{{S-aft|after=Post disbanded}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Colin Muir Barber]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[51st (Highland) Division|GOC 51st (Highland) Infantry Division]]|years=1949–1952}}
{{s-aft|after=[[James Scott-Elliot]]}}
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{{s-hon}}
{{succession box |before=[[John Ogilvy Arbuthnott, 14th Viscount of Arbuthnott|The Viscount of Arbuthnott]] |title=[[Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire]] |after=[[Geoffrey Anderson Murray Saunders|Geoffrey Saunders]] |years=1960&ndash;1966}}
{{s-reg|sct}}
{{succession box |title=[[Viscount of Arbuthnott]] |before=[[John Ogilvy Arbuthnott, 14th Viscount of Arbuthnott|John Ogilvy Arbuthnott]] |after=[[John Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott|John Campbell Arbuthnott]] |years=1960&ndash;1966}}
{{s-end}}
{{Arbuthnot family}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arbuthnott, Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount Of}}
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1966 deaths]]
[[Category:Arbuthnot family|Keith Arbuthnott, 15th Viscount of Arbuthnott]]
[[Category:Black Watch officers]]
[[Category:British Army generals of World War II]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Kincardineshire]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:Lord-Lieutenants of Kincardineshire]]
[[Category:People educated at Fettes College]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Viscounts of Arbuthnott|15]]
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]
[[Category:British Army major generals]]
[[Category:Academics of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Academics of the Staff College, Camberley]]