Steuart Pringle
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir Steuart Robert Pringle, 10th Baronet, of Stichill
KCB DSC
(born 21 July 1928) is a former Royal Marines
officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines
and who was seriously injured by an IRA
car bomb
.
, Pringle joined the Royal Marines
in 1946. He succeeded his father, Squadron Leader
Sir Norman Hamilton Pringle as 10th Baronet
in 1961. He was appointed Commanding Officer of 45 Commando
in 1971 and, after a tour at Headquarters Commando Forces from 1974 in which role he was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel, he became Major-General Commando Forces in 1978.
He went on to be Chief of Staff to the Commandant-General Royal Marines in 1979 and Commandant-General Royal Marines in 1981. On the 17 October 1981 Pringle was injured by an IRA
car bomb
attached to his red Volkswagen car outside his home in Dulwich
, South London
as he went to take his pet black Labrador, Bella to the park for a run. One of the first questions he asked was, “How’s my dog?” His dog, Bella, was unscathed but Pringle lost a leg in the incident. As commandant general of the Royal Marines, he was seen welcoming the Commandos home following the Falklands War
. Pringle was named BBC Pebble Mill Man of the Year for his "outstanding achievement and bravery". He returned to duties after his ordeal until his retirement in 1985.
In retirement he became Chairman and Chief Executive of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust
.
He was awarded a Hon DSc of City University London
in 1982 and a Hon LLD of Exeter University in 1994. He is also an Hon Admiral of the Texas Navy.
Stichill
Stichill is a village and civil parish in the historic county of Roxburghshire, a division of the Scottish Borders. Situated north of the Burgh of Kelso, Stichill lies north of the Eden Water and from the English Border at Coldstream....
KCB DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(born 21 July 1928) is a former Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines
Commandant General Royal Marines
The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1945...
and who was seriously injured by an IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
.
Military career
Educated at Sherborne SchoolSherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
, Pringle joined the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
in 1946. He succeeded his father, Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Sir Norman Hamilton Pringle as 10th Baronet
Pringle Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for members of the Scottish Pringle family, one in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain. One creation is extant as of 2008....
in 1961. He was appointed Commanding Officer of 45 Commando
45 Commando
45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
in 1971 and, after a tour at Headquarters Commando Forces from 1974 in which role he was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel, he became Major-General Commando Forces in 1978.
He went on to be Chief of Staff to the Commandant-General Royal Marines in 1979 and Commandant-General Royal Marines in 1981. On the 17 October 1981 Pringle was injured by an IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
attached to his red Volkswagen car outside his home in Dulwich
Dulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
, South London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as he went to take his pet black Labrador, Bella to the park for a run. One of the first questions he asked was, “How’s my dog?” His dog, Bella, was unscathed but Pringle lost a leg in the incident. As commandant general of the Royal Marines, he was seen welcoming the Commandos home following the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. Pringle was named BBC Pebble Mill Man of the Year for his "outstanding achievement and bravery". He returned to duties after his ordeal until his retirement in 1985.
In retirement he became Chairman and Chief Executive of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust
Chatham Historic Dockyard
Chatham Historic Dockyard is a maritime museum on part of the site of the former royal/naval dockyard at Chatham in Kent, England.Chatham Dockyard covered 400 acres and was one of the Royal Navy's main facilities for several hundred years until it was closed in 1984. After closure the dockyard was...
.
He was awarded a Hon DSc of City University London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
in 1982 and a Hon LLD of Exeter University in 1994. He is also an Hon Admiral of the Texas Navy.