Norman Arthur
{{Short description|British commanding officer (1931–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Sir Norman Arthur
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|03|06|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|12|18|1931|03|06|df=yes}}
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place =
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| allegiance ={{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
| branch =23px British Army
| serviceyears =1951–1988
| rank =Lieutenant-General
| unit =
| commands =Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
7th Armoured Brigade
3rd Armoured Division
General Officer Commanding Scotland
| battles =Operation Banner
| awards =Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
| relations =
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}}
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.Debrett's People of Today 1994 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.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418042832/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ar/norman-arthur-1.html Olympic Sports]
Arthur was appointed Commanding Officer of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in 1972 and mentioned in despatches for service in Northern Ireland in 1974 during The Troubles.{{London Gazette|issue=46527|supp=y|page=3978|date=24 March 1975}} He became Commander of 7th Armoured Brigade in 1976.
Arthur went on to be General Officer Commanding 3rd Armoured Division in 1980 and Director of Personal Services (Army) in 1983. He was given the colonelcy of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards in 1984, a position he held until 1998.{{cite web |url=http://www.regiments.org:80/regiments/uk/cav/DG3rsdg.htm |title=The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) at |publisher=regiments.org |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040814061808/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/cav/DG3rsdg.htm |archivedate=14 August 2004 |access-date=20 April 2020 |url-status=dead }} He was appointed General Officer Commanding Scotland and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in 1985; he retired in 1988.
In 1996 he became Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway Region,[http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/mfwhoswho/individuals/A_mfwwi/norman_arthur.html Frost's Scottish Who's Who] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619110350/http://martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/mfwhoswho/individuals/A_mfwwi/norman_arthur.html |date=19 June 2011 }} and held this post until succeeded by Malcolm Ross in March 2006.{{cite news |url=https://www.dgwgo.com/dumfries-galloway-news/lord-lieutenant-sir-malcolm-ross-retires/ |title=Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant Of The Stewartry Sir Malcolm Ross Retires |accessdate=6 May 2019 |newspaper=DGWGO |date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=6 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506185841/https://www.dgwgo.com/dumfries-galloway-news/lord-lieutenant-sir-malcolm-ross-retires/ |url-status=live }}
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.
He married again in 2012 to Jillian Andrews.[http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/engagements/148162/lt-gen-sir-norman-arthur-and-mrs-j.-andrews Announcements] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610230839/http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/engagements/148162/lt-gen-sir-norman-arthur-and-mrs-j.-andrews |date=10 June 2015 }} The Telegraph
Arthur died on 18 December 2023, at the age of 92.{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Katie |title=Former Governor of Edinburgh Castle Lieutenant General Sir Norman Arthur dies age 92 |url=https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/former-governor-edinburgh-castle-lieutenant-28315180 |access-date=19 December 2023 |publisher=Edinburgh Live |date=19 December 2023 |archive-date=19 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219112131/https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/former-governor-edinburgh-castle-lieutenant-28315180 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=Lieutenant General Sir Norman Arthur, KCB, CVO |url=https://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/marketplace/advert/arthur-notices_55055 |access-date=1 January 2024 |publisher=The Telegraph |date=1 January 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Henry Dalzell-Payne}}
{{s-ttl|title=General Officer Commanding the 3rd Armoured Division|years=1980–1982}}
{{s-aft|after=Antony Walker}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Sir Alexander Boswell}}
{{s-ttl|title=GOC Scotland|years=1985–1988}}
{{s-aft|after=Sir John MacMillan}}
|-
{{s-hon}}
{{succession box | before=Sir Michael Herries | title=Lord Lieutenant of Kirkcudbright | years=1996–2006 | after=Sir Malcolm Ross}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arthur, Norman}}
Category:People educated at Eton College
Category:Royal Scots Greys officers
Category:Royal Scots Dragoon Guards officers
Category:British Army lieutenant generals
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
Category:Olympic equestrians for Great Britain
Category:British male equestrians
Category:Equestrians at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Category:Lord-lieutenants of Kirkcudbright
Category:British military personnel of The Troubles (Northern Ireland)