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Fruity Metcalfe

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Nickname(s)
  
Fruity

Battles and wars
  
World War I

Name
  
Fruity Metcalfe

Battles/wars
  
World War I

Allegiance
  
United Kingdom


A large gate at their back, from the left, a woman is standing, her right hand holding her wrist and her left hand holding a black bag, has black hair, wearing a jacket, black shoes, and a white dress. 2nd from the left a woman is smiling, standing, has short black hair wearing a black dress black shoes and black coat, at her back is a girl smiling has short black hair, 4th from the left is a man smiling, standing, left hands on the pocket, has white hair, wearing a white polo, black shirt, white necktie, gray pants black shoes, and white coat, 5th from left is a man smiling, standing, has black hair, wearing polo black necktie and black coat, at the right is Fruity Metcalfe, smiling while standing, wearing a gray coat, white polo with black tie and black shoes.

Born
  
16 January 1887 (
1887-01-16
)

Years of service
  
1907–27 (Army)1940–42 (RAF)

Rank
  
Major (Army)Flying officer (RAF)

Other work
  
Equerry to King Edward VIII

Died
  
November 18, 1957, Westminster, United Kingdom

Awards
  
Military Cross, Mentioned in dispatches, Royal Victorian Order

Service/branch
  
British Indian Army, Royal Air Force

Edward Dudley Metcalfe MVO MC (16 January 1887 – 18 November 1957), known as Fruity Metcalfe, was an officer in the Indian Army and a close friend and equerry of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor.

Contents

Edward Dudley Metcalfe also known as Fruity Metcalfe in 1919, is serious, standing, hands at his back, has split style black hair, wearing a white shirt, black soldier combat uniform.

Career

Three men were standing with their arms crossed at the back. There is a wall with a Japanese symbol of the rising sun and a plant on the right side. On the left, a man is serious, standing with arms crossed, wearing a traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coat with cross and Japanese letter patterns and a sandogasa hat. In the middle, a man is smiling, with arms crossed, wearing a traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coat with cross and Japanese letter patterns and a sandogasa hat. On the right, a man is serious, standing with arms crossed, wearing a traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coat with cross lines box with dot in the middle and Japanese letter patterns and a sandogasa hat.

Metcalfe was educated privately and at Trinity College, Dublin. He was commissioned on to the Unattached list for Auxiliary Forces (University Candidate) on 27 May 1907. He transferred to the Unattached List, Indian Army on 15 August 1908 but to have seniority from 17 August 1907. He spent a year attached to the 1st battalion Connaught Rangers in India from 8 November 1908 until, on 8 November 1909, being accepted into the Indian Army and joining 3rd Skinner's Horse. He was promoted lieutenant on 17 November 1909.

On the left, the man is serious, standing with both arms at his back. He has black hair, a white shirt and necktie, black pants, and a black coat. 2nd from left, Wallis Simpson, smiling, standing with both hands at her side, has black hair and is wearing a wedding dress with a hat. 3rd from left, Edward VIII is serious, standing with his hands down, has black hair, and is wearing a white polo with necktie, black shoes, black pants, and a jacket. On the right is a man standing behind Edward VIII. He has black hair and wears a white polo, a black necktie, a black coat and pants. On the left, the man is serious, standing with both arms at his back. He has black hair, a white shirt and necktie, black pants, and a black coat.

He attended the 1911 Delhi Durbar with his regiment, and in 1912 attended the Cavalry School at Saugor.

Thelma Furness and the Prince of Wales are seated next to each other, along with a group of people in the back. On the left is Thelma Furness, serious, sitting with black hair, wearing a white dress with white gloves and a necklace. Next to her is the Prince of Wales, smiling, sitting with black hair, wearing a white shirt with a bowtie and a black coat.

On 12 August 1914 he was appointed Adjutant of the Governor's Body Guard, Bombay. He did not hold this position for long as his regiment was mobilised and went to France late in 1914. He was promoted temporary captain 1 September 1915. He served there before being sent back to India in June 1916, from where he volunteered to served with the 7th Meerut Cavalry headquarters which went to Mesopotamia. He was promoted captain 17 August 1916; however this was later antedated to 1 September 1915.

The wedding of Edward Dudley Metcalfe and Lady Alexandra Curzon On the left, a serious man stands behind a metal pole, dressed in a black coat, hat, pants, and shoes. 2nd from left, Lady Alexandra is smiling, standing, hand holding a bouquet of flowers, has short black hair, wearing a white veil and white wedding gown and white shoes, 3rd from left, Edward Dudley Metcalfe, smiling, standing next to his wife, while his left hand holds a black hat and white handkerchief, has black hair, wearing a white collar shirt, black necktie, gray vest, under a black coat, black pants, and black shoes. 4th from left, a man standing at the back wearing a soldier's hat and black clothes. On the right is a man standing with black hair and a mustache, wearing a white collar shirt, a black coat, black pants, and shoes.

He was Mentioned in Despatches, reported in the London Gazette on 15 August 1917, and ten days later come notice that he had been awarded the Military Cross for distinguished service in Mesopotamia.

.

In 1918 Metcalfe was attached to the Signal Service, where he remained until January 1920, when he was attached to the 27th Light Cavalry. By early 1921 he was back serving with the 3rd Skinner's Horse, but by July he was serving with the Indian State Forces of Indore. With the arrival of the Prince of Wales's tour of India, he was appointed an aide de camp and subsequently accompanied the prince on his tour of Japan.

In July 1922, in the wake of the prince's tour, he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 4th class, and in August 1922 was appointed as temporary equerry to the Prince of Wales.

Metcslfe was provisionally promoted to the rank of major on 17 August 1922, this being confirmed in the London Gazette of 16 November 1923.

He was appointed an Extra Aide de camp to His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief in India on 4 September 1926 and retired from the Indian Army on 6 September 1927.

Metcalfe first met the future Edward VIII when, as Prince of Wales, he was touring India in 1922. Edward was impressed with Metcalfe's knowledge of horses and made him a member of his personal staff. After the king abdicated and became Duke of Windsor, Metcalfe was best man at his wedding in France to Mrs Simpson. He was his equerry from 1939 in Paris and Antibes until the German invasion of France in 1940 prompted the Windsors' evacuation and the Duke's appointment to govern the Bahamas.

On 10 August 1940, Metcalfe was commissioned as a pilot officer into the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force. He was promoted to flying officer on 10 August 1941. He was posted to Cairo in November 1941, returning to Britain at the end of September 1942, but resigned his commission on 17 November 1942.

With his wife he attended meetings of the January Club and in May 1934 a dinner at London's Savoy Hotel of the Blackshirts, of which he was a member.

Personal life

In 1925, Metcalfe married Alexandra Naldera Curzon ("Baba") (1904–1995), 18 years younger than him, and the third daughter of George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston and Viceroy of India, and Lord Curzon's first wife, the American mercantile heiress Mary Victoria Leiter.

They had a son, David Metcalfe, and twin daughters Davina and Linda. They divorced in 1955.

Metcalfe lived at South Hartfield House, Coleman's Hatch, in the Ashdown Forest, Sussex, about 40 miles south of London.

References

Fruity Metcalfe Wikipedia
(Text) CC BY-SA


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