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General Sir Robert Napier Hubert Campbell (Bobbie) Bray GBE KCB DSO* (14 June 1908 – 14 August 1983) was a British soldier, deputy Supreme Commander Europe of NATO's Allied Command Europe from 1967 to 1970.
Education
Bray was educated at St Ronan's School, Worthing, followed by Gresham's School, Holt, and the Royal Military Academy.
Career
Robert Bray was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment on 2 February 1928.
He served during World War II in North West Europe and the Middle East being promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel on 19 October 1942.
He became a Brigadier on the General Staff at the British Army of the Rhine in 1950 and then Director of Land-Air Warfare and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Standardization at the War Office in 1954. He was promoted to major-general on 29 October 1955 and became General Officer Commanding 56th Infantry Division in 1957. He then became GOC British Land Forces in the Arabian Peninsula in 1959 and GOC Middle East Land Forces in 1960.
He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 27 February 1961 and served as GOC-in-C at Southern Command from 1961 to 1963. He was promoted to full general on 25 February 1965. He was the Honorary Colonel of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment from 1965 to 1975. He served as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe between 1963 and 1967 and as Deputy Supreme Commander Europe at NATO's Allied Command between May 1967 and December 1970, succeeding Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Pike. He retired on 9 March 1971.
Honours
- 1944 – Distinguished Service Order for gallant and distinguished services in Normandy
- 1945 – Bar to Distinguished Service Order for gallant and distinguished services in north west Europe
- 1952 – Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- 1956 – Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)
- 1962 – Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)
- 1966 – Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)
- Colonel of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, October 1965 to July 1975
- Mentioned in Despatches North West Frontier 1935
- Mentioned in Despatches 20 December 1940