Arthur Denaro
Encyclopedia
Major General
Arthur George Denaro CBE
DL
(born 23 March 1948) is a former British Army
officer. He led his regiment, the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars
, during the Gulf War
and later became Commandant of Sandhurst. He commanded the 5th Infantry Division from 2000 to 2003. He was the highest ranking officer of foreign birth in the British Army at that time.
, Ireland
. Born the son of the late Brigadier
George Tancred Denaro, CBE, DSO and of Francesca Violet Denaro (née Garnett), he was educated at Downside School
before going to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
.
as a Cornet
in 1968. Little is known of his early military life but media reports suggest he was engaged in clandestine
operations with United Kingdom
Special Forces. During the Gulf War
he commanded his regiment which, "with breathtaking speed", (as vanguard of the British attack) hooked round the Iraqi right flank to cut off their line of retreat. His Challenger 1 tank "Churchill" has been preserved at the Tank Museum Bovington in its desert colours and Irish Hussars livery. Both Denaro and his tank are immortalised in the Terence Cuneo painting "The Basrah Road" the original of which hangs in the regimental museum of the Queen's Royal Hussars at Athlone Kaserne in Paderborn
. In 1992 he was appointed Commander of 33rd Armoured Brigade
and later that year he became Commander of 20th Armoured Brigade. From 1994 to 1995 he served at the headquarters of UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia
, as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Protection Force
in Bosnia, before commanding British forces in Cyprus
from 1995 to 1996. He was Chief of Combat Support at Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Germany
from 1996 to 1997. He became Middle East Adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence
in 1997.
In 1998 he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and he commanded the 5th Division from 2000 to 2003, when he retired from the service.
Denaro has served as President of the Army Polo Association from 2002 and was Honorary Colonel of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
and of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry
from 2003 to 2009, as well as being Colonel of the Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen’s Own and Royal Irish) from 2004 to 2008 before handing over to Brigadier Andrew Bellamy.
for Herefordshire
in 2008. In retirement he also became a Trustee of The Prince's Trust
.
He can still be found at a variety of events for the army and, in particular, for the Old Comrades Association of the Queen's Royal Hussars where he is known to all as "General Arthur". He remains as President of the Combined Irish Regiments Association (since 2003).
; they have one son (commissioned into the Queen's Royal Hussars in 2008) and one daughter, as well as the son and two daughters from Mrs Denaro's first marriage.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Arthur George Denaro CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(born 23 March 1948) is a former British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer. He led his regiment, the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars
Queen's Royal Irish Hussars
The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in Hohne, West Germany in 1958....
, during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and later became Commandant of Sandhurst. He commanded the 5th Infantry Division from 2000 to 2003. He was the highest ranking officer of foreign birth in the British Army at that time.
Early life
Denaro raised in County DonegalCounty Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Born the son of the late Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
George Tancred Denaro, CBE, DSO and of Francesca Violet Denaro (née Garnett), he was educated at Downside School
Downside School
Downside School is a co-educational Catholic independent school for children aged 11 to 18, located in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, between Norton Radstock and Shepton Mallet in Somerset, south west England. It is attached to Downside Abbey...
before going to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
.
Army career
He was commissioned into the Queen's Royal Irish HussarsQueen's Royal Irish Hussars
The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in Hohne, West Germany in 1958....
as a Cornet
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in 1968. Little is known of his early military life but media reports suggest he was engaged in clandestine
Clandestine
Clandestine may refer to:* Secrecy* ClanDestine, a Marvel Comics series by Alan Davis* Clandestine , a novel by James Ellroy* Clandestine operation, a secret intelligence or military activity* Clandestine MUD, a MUD, or text-based MMORPG...
operations with United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Special Forces. During the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
he commanded his regiment which, "with breathtaking speed", (as vanguard of the British attack) hooked round the Iraqi right flank to cut off their line of retreat. His Challenger 1 tank "Churchill" has been preserved at the Tank Museum Bovington in its desert colours and Irish Hussars livery. Both Denaro and his tank are immortalised in the Terence Cuneo painting "The Basrah Road" the original of which hangs in the regimental museum of the Queen's Royal Hussars at Athlone Kaserne in Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
. In 1992 he was appointed Commander of 33rd Armoured Brigade
33rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 33rd Armoured Brigade was a British Army brigade active in 1944-45, in the 1970s, and in 1980-92.- Normandy :The brigade was formed in the UK on 17 March 1944 by re-designating of the 33rd Tank Brigade. The brigade took part in the Normandy campaign and landed on Gold Beach on 6 June 1944...
and later that year he became Commander of 20th Armoured Brigade. From 1994 to 1995 he served at the headquarters of UNPROFOR in the former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
, as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Protection Force
United Nations Protection Force
The United Nations Protection Force ', was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav wars. It existed between the beginning of UN involvement in February 1992, and its restructuring into other forces in March 1995...
in Bosnia, before commanding British forces in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
from 1995 to 1996. He was Chief of Combat Support at Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from 1996 to 1997. He became Middle East Adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
in 1997.
In 1998 he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and he commanded the 5th Division from 2000 to 2003, when he retired from the service.
Denaro has served as President of the Army Polo Association from 2002 and was Honorary Colonel of the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a unit of the British Army.Raised in 1795 following William Pitt's 1794 order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain, through various re-organisations, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars remain today on the establishment of the Territorial...
and of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry
Royal Wessex Yeomanry
The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army consisting of four squadrons, each of which bears the cap badge of an old yeomanry regiment:*B Squadron*A Squadron...
from 2003 to 2009, as well as being Colonel of the Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen’s Own and Royal Irish) from 2004 to 2008 before handing over to Brigadier Andrew Bellamy.
Civilian life
After retiring from the British Army, Denaro was Adviser to the Crown Prince of Bahrain from 2003 to 2007 and he joined Strategic Real Estate Advisors and the Inspirational Development Group in 2007. He was appointed a Deputy LieutenantDeputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in 2008. In retirement he also became a Trustee of The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales to help young people. They run a range of training programmes, provide mentoring support and offer financial grants to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people...
.
He can still be found at a variety of events for the army and, in particular, for the Old Comrades Association of the Queen's Royal Hussars where he is known to all as "General Arthur". He remains as President of the Combined Irish Regiments Association (since 2003).
Family
In 1980 Denaro married Margaret Roney Acworth (Maggi), widow of Major Michael Kealy, DSOMike Kealy
Mike Kealy was the 27 year old Captain at the Battle of Mirbat in 1972. After the battle he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.He died ofhypothermia in February 1979 on a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons.-References:...
; they have one son (commissioned into the Queen's Royal Hussars in 2008) and one daughter, as well as the son and two daughters from Mrs Denaro's first marriage.