Urquhart outside his headquarters during Operation Market Garden.

Major General Robert 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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 632 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (688 × 653 pixel, file size: 111 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Major-General Roy Urquhart DSO and Bar (leader of the 1st British Airborne Division during the Arnhem Operation) plants the Airborne flag... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 632 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (688 × 653 pixel, file size: 111 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: Major-General Roy Urquhart DSO and Bar (leader of the 1st British Airborne Division during the Arnhem Operation) plants the Airborne flag... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Poland Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Walter Model Strength 35,000 20,000 Casualties 17,000 dead or wounded 4,000 - 8,000 dead or wounded Operation Market Garden (September 17-September 25, 1944) was an Allied military operation in World War II. Its tactical... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British 1st Airborne Division was a military unit that fought in World War II. It suffered terrible casualties, especially in Operation Market Garden. ... Combatants United Kingdom United States Canada Poland Germany Commanders Bernard Montgomery Walter Model Strength 35,000 20,000 Casualties 17,000 dead or wounded 4,000 - 8,000 dead or wounded Operation Market Garden (September 17-September 25, 1944) was an Allied military operation in World War II. Its tactical...

Urquhart was not originally an airborne officer. Through 1941, he had been a staff officer in the 3rd Division. Prior to this, he had served as the Executive Officer of Company B (Machine Gun) of the Highland Light Infantry, stationed on Malta. While there, 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..."' For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... The British 3rd Infantry Division was part of the ill-fated British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk early in World War II. It was the first British division to land at Sword beach on D-Day. ... The Highland Light Infantry later the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) was a regiment of the British Army. ... David Niven (March 1, 1910 – July 29, 1983) was an Academy Award-winning British actor. ...

Between 1941 and 1942, he commanded the 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. After holding that command, until 1943, he was a staff officer in the 51st Infantry Division, which was stationed in North Africa. For a short time, he commanded the British 231st Infantry Brigade, which faced action in Sicily. Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry was the 32nd Regiment of Foot of the British Army. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... For the First World War unit, see British 51st (Highland) Division (World War I). ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided by the formidable barrier of the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... This Second World War British Army unit was originally formed from the 1st Malta Brigade. ... Husky was also the codename of Australian military support to Sierra Leone ending in February 2003. ...

Until 1944, he was a staff officer in XII Corps. However, in that year, he was given command of the 1st Airborne Division. Its former commander (Major-General G.F.Hopkinson) had been killed in Italy, and his successor, Brigadier Eric Down had been given a command in India. Ironically, Urquhart was prone to airsickness and had never commanded or, for that matter, been a member of an airborne unit. His first combat action was at the Battle of Arnhem; after his unit lost 3/4 of its soldiers at Arnhem, it never saw action in World War II again. Following the war he served in several staff positions, including service as the General Officer Commanding Malaya Command (1950-1952) during the Malayan Emergency. Roy Urquhart retired from the army in 1955. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Brigadier is a rank which is used in different ways by different countries. ... Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation in World War II, which took place in September 1944. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Malaya Command was a British Army World War II formation formed for the defence of Malaya and Singapore. ... The Malayan Emergency was an insurrection and guerrilla war of the Malay Races Liberation Army against the British and Malayan administration from 1948-1960 in what is now Malaysia. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

After leaving the army Urquhart became an executive in the steel industry, retiring in 1970. In 1958 Urquart published Arnhem: Britain's Infamous Airborne Assault of World War II (ISBN 0-9644704-3-8) detailing his exploits in the battle.

Urquhart was portraited by Sean Connery in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far. He is the subject of the biography Urquhart of Arnhem (ISBN 0-08-041318-8) by John Baynes. Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930) is an Academy Award-winning Scottish actor and producer who is best known as the first actor to portray James Bond on film. ... A Bridge Too Far is a 1977 film based on the 1974 book of the same name. ... This is an article on biographies. ...

Urquhart and his wife Pamela had four children, among them Elspeth Campbell (wife of politician Menzies Campbell). Elspeth, Lady Campbell (born Elspeth Urquhart in January 1940) is the wife of the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell. ... Sir Walter Menzies Campbell, CBE, QC (born 22 May 1941, Glasgow), commonly known as Ming Campbell, is a British politician. ...

References

• Biography of Roy Urquhart