George Erroll Prior-Palmer
Encyclopedia
Major-General
George Erroll Prior-Palmer CB
DSO
(20 February 1903 – 18 August 1977) was a British Army
officer and business man of Anglo-Irish
origins.
He saw active service in the Second World War
and later was military attaché
at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.
and Major-General commanding the 6th Armoured Division.
In civilian life he entered the world of commercial shipping and was successively a director of the Union-Castle Line
, manager of Cayzer Irvine
, and managing director of Overseas Containers Limited
, before retiring in 1969.
, Dublin, by his marriage to Anne Leslie Gason, of Kilteelagh, County Tipperary
, Prior-Palmer was educated in England
at Wellington College
and at the Royal Military College
, Sandhurst
.
as a Second Lieutenant. He was promoted Captain
in 1930, Lieutenant-Colonel in 1941, Colonel in 1946, and Brigadier
in 1948. In 1940 he saw active service in North West Europe, when he was mentioned in despatches, and in 1944 took part in the Normandy landings, serving on the continent until 1945. In 1946 he went to Washington, D.C.
as military attaché
at the British Embassy, a two-year posting. In 1951 he was promoted Major-General and given command of the newly reformed 6th Armoured Division. In 1953 he returned to Washington D.C. as Commander, British Army Staff, and Military Member, British Joint Services Mission, this time remaining for three years. He was President of the Regular Commissions Board in 1956–1957 and retired the service in 1958.
. From 1959 to 1964 he was the Southampton area director of the Union-Castle Line
, in 1964–1965 manager of Cayzer Irvine
and special adviser to the British and Commonwealth Group, and from 1965 to 1969 managing director of Overseas Containers Ltd
. He retired in 1969, but from 1973 until his death was a director of J. A. Peden Ltd.
, and they had one son, Simon Erroll (born 1951), and one daughter, Lucinda Jane
(born 1953).
He was a member of the Cavalry and Guards Club
and the Royal Ocean Racing Club
and in retirement lived at Appleshaw House, Andover
, Hampshire
. He died on 18 August 1977.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
George Erroll Prior-Palmer CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(20 February 1903 – 18 August 1977) was a 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 and business man of Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
origins.
He saw active service in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and later was military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Major-General commanding the 6th Armoured Division.
In civilian life he entered the world of commercial shipping and was successively a director of the Union-Castle Line
Union-Castle Line
The Union-Castle Line was a prominent British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line...
, manager of Cayzer Irvine
Clan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
, and managing director of Overseas Containers Limited
Overseas Containers Limited
Overseas Containers Limited was a container shipping company formed by a consortium of British shipping companies in 1965. It is not to be confused with Orient Overseas Container Line .-History:...
, before retiring in 1969.
Early life
The son of Prior Spunner Prior-Palmer, of County Sligo and 32, Merrion SquareMerrion Square
Merrion Square is a Georgian square on the southside of Dublin city centre. It was laid out after 1762 and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. It is considered one of the city's finest surviving squares...
, Dublin, by his marriage to Anne Leslie Gason, of Kilteelagh, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, Prior-Palmer was educated in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at Wellington College
Wellington College
Wellington College may refer to:*Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England*Wellington College , Wellington, New Zealand*Wellington College Belfast, a grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland...
and at the Royal Military College
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...
, Sandhurst
Sandhurst
Sandhurst is a small town and civil parish in England of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants , primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries...
.
Army career
From Sandhurst, in 1923 Prior-Palmer was commissioned into the 9th Lancers9th Queen's Royal Lancers
The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, or the Delhi Spearmen, were a cavalry regiment of the British Army. They are best known for their roles in the Indian mutiny of 1857 and for their part in the North African campaign of World War II including the retreat to and the battle of El Alamein in 1942.-Early...
as a Second Lieutenant. He was promoted Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
in 1930, Lieutenant-Colonel in 1941, Colonel in 1946, and Brigadier
Brigadier (United Kingdom)
Brigadier is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines.Brigadier is the superior rank to Colonel, but subordinate to Major-General....
in 1948. In 1940 he saw active service in North West Europe, when he was mentioned in despatches, and in 1944 took part in the Normandy landings, serving on the continent until 1945. In 1946 he went to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the British Embassy, a two-year posting. In 1951 he was promoted Major-General and given command of the newly reformed 6th Armoured Division. In 1953 he returned to Washington D.C. as Commander, British Army Staff, and Military Member, British Joint Services Mission, this time remaining for three years. He was President of the Regular Commissions Board in 1956–1957 and retired the service in 1958.
Business career
In 1958 Prior-Palmer joined the British & Commonwealth Shipping CompanyBritish and Commonwealth Holdings
British and Commonwealth Holdings plc was a financial services company which used to be a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:The Company was originally established in 1955 when Clan Line Steamers was merged with Union Castle to form The British & Commonwealth Shipping Company, a shipping...
. From 1959 to 1964 he was the Southampton area director of the Union-Castle Line
Union-Castle Line
The Union-Castle Line was a prominent British shipping line that operated a fleet of passenger liners and cargo ships between Europe and Africa from 1900 to 1977. It was formed from the merger of the Union Line and Castle Shipping Line...
, in 1964–1965 manager of Cayzer Irvine
Clan Line
The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century.-Foundation and early years:...
and special adviser to the British and Commonwealth Group, and from 1965 to 1969 managing director of Overseas Containers Ltd
Overseas Containers Limited
Overseas Containers Limited was a container shipping company formed by a consortium of British shipping companies in 1965. It is not to be confused with Orient Overseas Container Line .-History:...
. He retired in 1969, but from 1973 until his death was a director of J. A. Peden Ltd.
Other appointments
- President, Wessex Rehabilitation Association, 1962–1977
- Patron, League of Venturers, 1972–1977
Honours
- Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(military division), 1952 - Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, 1945, for gallant and distinguished service in North-West Europe. - Legion of Honour (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), 1945 - Croix de guerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with palm (BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
), 1945
Private life
In 1935, Prior-Palmer married firstly Katherine Edith, daughter of Frank Bibby, and with her had one daughter. In 1948, he married secondly Lady Doreen Hersey Winifred Hope, younger daughter of Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of LinlithgowVictor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow
Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow KG, KT, GCSI, GCIE, OBE, PC was a British statesman who served as Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943.-Early life and family:...
, and they had one son, Simon Erroll (born 1951), and one daughter, Lucinda Jane
Lucinda Green
Lucinda Green MBE is a champion British equestrian and journalist who before her marriage was Lucinda Jane Prior-Palmer.-Family:...
(born 1953).
He was a member of the Cavalry and Guards Club
Cavalry and Guards Club
The Cavalry and Guards Club is a London gentlemen's club, at 127 Piccadilly, situated next to the RAF Club. It has three foundation dates:*1810, the foundation date of the Guards' Club, which was based in Pall Mall....
and the Royal Ocean Racing Club
Royal Ocean Racing Club
The Royal Ocean Racing Club also called RORC was established in 1925 as a result of a race to the Fastnet rock from Cowes and finishing in Plymouth. The RORC is the principal organiser of offshore yacht races in the UK, including the Fastnet race, the Admirals Cup and the Commodore's Cup...
and in retirement lived at Appleshaw House, Andover
Andover
-Places:In the United Kingdom:* Andover, Hampshire, EnglandIn Canada:* Andover, New Brunswick* Perth-Andover, New BrunswickIn the United States:* Andover, California* Andover, Connecticut* Andover, Florida* Andover, Illinois* Andover, Iowa...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. He died on 18 August 1977.