Robert Knox Ross
| Robert Knox Ross | |
|---|---|
Field Marshal Montgomery poses for a group photograph with his staff, corps and division commanders at Walbeck, Germany, 22 March 1944. Pictured standing in the second row, on the far right, is Major General Robert Ross.
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| Nickname(s) | "Willie" |
| Born | 23 August 1893 |
| Died | 3 November 1951 (aged 58) |
| Buried | Shalford Cemetery, Surrey, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
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| Service/ |
 British Army
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| Years of service | 1913–1946 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Service number | 5517 |
| Unit | Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) |
| Commands held | 2nd Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment 160th Infantry Brigade 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division Aldershot and Hampshire District |
| Battles/wars |
World War I Arab Revolt in Palestine World War II |
| Awards |
Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Military Cross Mentioned in despatches (3) Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre (France) |
Major General Robert Knox Ross CB DSO MC (23 August 1893 – 3 November 1951) was a senior British Army officer who, during World War II, commanded the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division throughout the campaign in North-West Europe from June 1944 until May 1945.
Robert Knox Ross was born on 23 August 1893, the son of a British Army officer, Brigadier General Robert James Ross of the Middlesex Regiment, he was educated at Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He graduated from Sandhurst and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), the second most senior line infantry regiment of the British Army, on 5 February 1913. He served with the 2nd Battalion, Queen's in South Africa and Bermuda.
On the outbreak of World War I, in August 1914, the battalion, stationed in Pretoria, was sent to England, arriving there in September, where it became part of the 22nd Brigade of the 7th Division. On 22 September Ross was promoted to lieutenant. The battalion was sent to the Western Front in October and Ross, commanding a platoon in 'A' Company, with his battalion, fought in the First Battle of Ypres, where he was one of the few officers not killed or wounded. On 22 October 1915, he was promoted to captain. Ross remained on the Western Front until 1916, upon promotion to the staff and becoming brigade major of the 27th Brigade, and later the 233rd Brigade in Palestine in the Middle Eastern theatre. In 1916 he became a General staff Officer Grade 2 (GSO2) with the 60th (2/2nd London) Division, part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). He ended the war in 1918 having been awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), on 1 January 1918,Military Cross (MC), and was thrice mentioned in despatches.
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