Lieutenant Colonel Anthony (Tony) Vere Cyprian Robarts DL

  General Notes:

Joined the 11th Hussars (PAO) at Tidworth in Wiltshire in 1931 from the Supplementary Reserve. This was a reserve pool of officers who held themselves ready to be called to the colours if and when required. In some ways it may be thought of as a back door into the Army. What my father did in the three years or so between school and the army I do not know.

In 1934 the Regiment were posted to Egypt where he served as a Troop Leader and in his off-duty moments he became no mean polo player.

In 1938 he commanded B Squadron as a Captain in Palestine. This was in the aftermath of the Arab rebellion and although not active service it was undoubtedly very good training for what was to follow in a couple of years' time.

From 1939 to 1941 he served with the Regiment in the war in North Africa becoming Squadron Leader of A Squadron in 1941. The 11th were the reconnaissance regiment for 7th Armoured Division, the Desert Rats.

He then attended and passed Staff College at Haifa after which he was on the staff of 23rd Armoured Brigade in North Africa. There followed a second staff course with the United States Army at Fort Leavenworth which I believe was in preparation for D-Day when close co-operation between the British and American Armies would clearly be vital.

He was on the Headquarters Staff of Second Army during much of the campaign in Europe with a short spell at the War Office towards the end of the war and for a time after that.

He returned to the Regiment in North Germany in 1947 as a Squadron Leader and became Second-in-Command of the Regiment in 1948 before taking over Command in 1949. This was the realisation of his main ambition in life.

His time in Command coincided with a deep crisis in the UK's relationship with Russia and it is no exaggeration to say that much of his time was taken up with training the Regiment for possible war. As the Regiment was stationed close to the border with the Russian zone (at Wesendorf, a former Luftwaffe airfield) it was potentially very much in the front line.

Handing over Command at the end of the normal tour in that post in 1952 he did a further short stint at the War Office. His heart was not, however, in soldiering away from his much loved Regiment and he left the Army in 1954.

After leaving Germany he bought a house in Northamptonshire, Fellyard in Slapton near Towcester. It was no coincidence that this was only some 7 miles from Lillingstone Dayrell where his family had been established for very many years.

He soon became Secretary of the Grafton Hunt which was a time consuming job lasting for many years. This could be termed his main occupation at that time.

He served for a short, and I think not very pleasing, time on the Northamptonshire County Council. He was also a Magistrate at Towcester for many years, was a Governor of St. Andrew's Hospital, in Northampton, a Governor of Tiffield Approved School together with a number of other local appointments.

He became a Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire in 1974.

His other interests were shooting and gardening while he took great pleasure in a variety of dogs over the years. These could not by any stretch of the imagination be called well trained but he was oblivious to that for in his eyes they could do no wrong. Many are the stories of their misdemeanours out shooting or when roaming the country in search of lady-friends!

Sadly my father's last few years were spent in declining health. His ashes are buried in the Churchyard at Lillingstone where I believe his roots were all his life.

It may be of interest to know that I myself joined the 11th Hussars about four years after he left the Regiment and it was always clear to me that he had been held in the very highest esteem. On the other hand when senior NCOs who had known him well reckoned I was about to do something silly or unwise they were wont to say "the Colonel wouldn't like it Sir". I never thought of a satisfactory reply!

Julian Robarts

  Research Notes:

http://www.warlinks.com/armour/11_hussars/11huss_40.html

http://www.warlinks.com/armour/11_hussars/11huss_44.html

  Noted events in his life were:

• 1:

Anthony married Grizel (Gid) Mary Grant, daughter of Major General Sir Philip Gordon Grant KCB CMG CB and Lady Annette Mary Coventry, on 22 Jul 1936 in Brompton Oratory. (Grizel (Gid) Mary Grant was born on 6 Mar 1914 in Burgate House, Fordingbridge, Hampshire and died on 20 Oct 2004 in Banbury Hospital.)