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Robert Benbow

Major General Robert Benbow CB was a British Army general officer.

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Jul 5, 2026
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Major General Robert Benbow CB (4 January 1933 – 9 January 2014) was a British Army general officer.

The son of a soldier also called Robert Benbow, and his wife Blanche Augusta Norris, he was born in Secunderabad, Hyderabad, a princely state which was not part of British India. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and on 31 July 1953 was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals.1 He was promoted to Lieutenant on 31 July 19552 Captain on 31 July 1959,3 Major on 31 July 1966,4 Lt. Colonel on 31 December 1972,5 and full Colonel on 30 June 1977.6 When promoted to Brigadier in December 1978, he was described as "late R. Signals".7

From 1978 to 1980, Benbow was Commandant of the School of Signals.8 In 1983, he was promoted to Major General9 and was appointed as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Corps of Signals and Signal-Officer-in-Chief, serving in this post until December 1985.108 From that month until April 1987, he was President of the Regular Commissions Board.8 He then retired.11

Benbow died on 9 January 2014, aged 81, in Dorchester, Dorset.

Honours

In the 1986 New Year Honours, Benbow was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.10

Benbow was the Honorary Colonel of the Queen's Gurkha Signals.12

Notes

Notes

  1. The London Gazette, Supplement 39965, 18 September 1953, p. 5043
  2. The London Gazette, Supplement 40550, 29 July 1955, p. 4426
  3. The London Gazette, Supplement 41777, p. 4795
  4. The London Gazette, Supplement 44069, 29 July 1966, p. 8606
  5. The London Gazette, Supplement 45867, 1 January 1973, p. 91,
  6. The London Gazette, Supplement 47264, 4 July 1977, p. 8744
  7. The London Gazette, Supplement 47745, 15 January 1979, p. 651
  8. "Army Commands", Gulabin, accessed 27 March 2026
  9. The London Gazette, Supplement 49545, 21 November 1983, p. 15397
  10. The London Gazette, Supplement 50361, 31 December 1985, p. 2 : "Major General Robert BENBOW (430224), Colonel Commandant Royal Corps of Signals."
  11. The London Gazette, Supplement 50913, 11 May 1987, p. 6125
  12. The London Gazette, Issue 52045, 12 February 1990, p. 1969