Fruity Metcalfe - Revision history

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← Older revision		Revision as of 23:57, 24 October 2022
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	{{Short description\|Officer in the Indian Army (1887–1957)}}		{{Short description\|Officer in the Indian Army (1887–1957)}}
	{{Use British English\|date=November ~~2022~~}}		{{Use British English\|date=November 2013}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=August ~~2022~~}}		{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2020}}
	{{Infobox officeholder		{{Infobox officeholder
	\| name = Edward Dudley Metcalfe		\| name = Edward Dudley Metcalfe
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	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,<ref name=Courcy /> but resigned his commission on 17 November 1942.		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,<ref name=Courcy /> but resigned his commission on 17 November 1942.

	Metcalfe and his wife Alexandra purchased a grand country house, Little Compton Manor, in 1939 near Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. There they entertained friends and dignitaries, including the Windsors after the war. Based on proximity to Cheltenham, they befriended the American Maj. Gen. [[John C. H. Lee]] in 1942. Lee was Commanding General of the [[United States Army Services of Supply]] beginning in May 1942, and centred the vast buildup operations of the U.S. Army in Cheltenham, far enough west in Britain to be out of range of German Luftwaffe bombers. Lee spent many respite weekends at the Manor until the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, and also entertained many military and diplomatic visitors there, recouping from the crushing responsibilities of managing the largest logistical operation in the history of the world.{{citation needed\|date=February ~~2022~~}}		Metcalfe and his wife Alexandra purchased a grand country house, Little Compton Manor, in 1939 near Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. There they entertained friends and dignitaries, including the Windsors after the war. Based on proximity to Cheltenham, they befriended the American Maj. Gen. [[John C. H. Lee]] in 1942. Lee was Commanding General of the [[United States Army Services of Supply]] beginning in May 1942, and centred the vast buildup operations of the U.S. Army in Cheltenham, far enough west in Britain to be out of range of German Luftwaffe bombers. Lee spent many respite weekends at the Manor until the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, and also entertained many military and diplomatic visitors there, recouping from the crushing responsibilities of managing the largest logistical operation in the history of the world.{{citation needed\|date=February 2020}}

	==Personal life==		==Personal life==

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← Older revision		Revision as of 23:57, 24 October 2022
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	{{Use British English\|date=November ~~2013~~}}		{{Short description\|Officer in the Indian Army (1887–1957)}}
	{{Use dmy dates\|date=August ~~2020~~}}		{{Use British English\|date=November 2022}}
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=August 2022}}
	{{Infobox officeholder		{{Infobox officeholder
	\| name = Edward Dudley Metcalfe		\| name = Edward Dudley Metcalfe
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	}}		}}

	'''Edward Dudley Metcalfe''' [[Royal Victoria Order\|MVO]] [[Military Cross\|MC]] (16 January 1887 – 18 November 1957), known as '''Fruity Metcalfe''', was an officer in the [[British Indian Army\|Indian Army]] and a close friend and [[equerry]] of the Prince of Wales, later [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom\|King Edward VIII]] and [[Duke of Windsor]].		'''Edward Dudley Metcalfe''' [[Royal Victoria Order\|MVO]] [[Military Cross\|MC]] (16 January 1887 – 18 November 1957), known as '''Fruity Metcalfe''', was an officer in the [[British Indian Army\|Indian Army]] and a close friend of and [[equerry]] to the Prince of Wales, later [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom\|King Edward VIII]] and [[Duke of Windsor]].

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Metcalfe was born in Dublin, Ireland, on 16 January 1887, the only son of Edward Metcalfe, member of the Irish General Prisons' Board, and Edith Maud Mary Howard-Hamilton. He was educated privately and at [[Trinity College, Dublin]].<ref name=Courcy>Courcy, Anne de (2002) "''The Viceroy's Daughters: the Lives of the Curzon Sisters''", W. Morrow, New York, amazon.co.uk, paperback. Retrieved 23 February 2007</ref>		Metcalfe was born in [[Dublin]], Ireland, on 16 January 1887, the only son of Edward Metcalfe, member of the Irish General Prisons' Board, and Edith Maud Mary Howard-Hamilton. He was educated privately and at [[Trinity College, Dublin]].<ref name=Courcy>Courcy, Anne de (2002) "''The Viceroy's Daughters: the Lives of the Curzon Sisters''", W. Morrow, New York, amazon.co.uk, paperback. Retrieved 23 February 2007</ref>

	==Career==		==Career==
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	===World War I===		===World War I===
	~~Metcalfe did not remain in India for long; with~~ the outbreak of the Great War ~~his~~ regiment was mobilised and ~~was~~ sent to France late in 1914~~. He was promoted temporary captain 1 September 1915~~.		With the outbreak of the Great War, Metcalfe's regiment was mobilised and sent to France late in 1914.

	He served in France 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.<ref name=Gazette04061917>{{cite news \|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30011/pages/3341 \|title=Rank of Captain to be antedated to 1st September, 1915, but without pay or allowances \|work=[[London Gazette]] \|date=6 April 1917 \|accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref>		Metcalfe was promoted temporary captain on 1 September 1915. He served in France 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.<ref name=Gazette04061917>{{cite news \|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30011/pages/3341 \|title=Rank of Captain to be antedated to 1st September, 1915, but without pay or allowances \|work=[[London Gazette]] \|date=6 April 1917 \|accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref>

	Metcalfe was [[mentioned in dispatches]], reported in the ''London Gazette'' on 15 August 1917, and ten days later came notice that he had been awarded the [[Military Cross]] for distinguished service in [[Mesopotamia]].<ref>''London Gazette'', 25 August 1917</ref>		Metcalfe was [[mentioned in dispatches]], reported in the ''London Gazette'' on 15 August 1917, and ten days later came notice that he had been awarded the [[Military Cross]] for distinguished service in [[Mesopotamia]].<ref>''London Gazette'', 25 August 1917</ref>
	[[File:Edward VIII with his staff wearing Happi 1922.jpg\|thumb\|350px\|Pictured in local costume in Japan in 1922 (L-R): Metcalfe, [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom\|Edward, Prince of Wales]]. and [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma\|Louis Mountbatten]]]]		[[File:Edward VIII with his staff wearing Happi 1922.jpg\|thumb\|350px\|Pictured in local costume in Japan in 1922 (L-R): Metcalfe, [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom\|Edward, Prince of Wales]]. and [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma\|Louis Mountbatten]]]]
	In 1918 Metcalfe was attached to the Signal Service, where he remained until January 1920, when he was attached to the 27th Light Cavalry.<ref>Indian Army List, January 1920</ref> By early 1921 he was back serving with the 3rd Skinner's Horse.<ref>Indian Army List, July 1921</ref>		In 1918, Metcalfe was attached to the Signal Service, where he remained until January 1920, when he was attached to the 27th Light Cavalry.<ref>Indian Army List, January 1920</ref> By early 1921, he was back serving with the 3rd Skinner's Horse.<ref>Indian Army List, July 1921</ref>

	===Between the wars===		===Between the wars===
	By July 1921, Metcalfe was serving with the Indian State Forces of Indore. 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, appointing him an aide de camp; he subsequently accompanied the prince on his tour of Japan.<ref name="Time06081925 ">{{cite news\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723219,00.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524002909/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723219,00.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=24 May 2011 \|title=Milestones: Jun. 8, 1925 \|work=[[Time (magazine)\|Time]] \|date=8 June 1925 \|accessdate=2007-04-08}}</ref>		By July 1921, Metcalfe was serving with the Indian State Forces of [[Indore State\|Indore]]. 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, appointing him an aide de camp; he subsequently accompanied the prince on his tour of Japan.<ref name="Time06081925 ">{{cite news\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723219,00.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524002909/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723219,00.html \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=24 May 2011 \|title=Milestones: Jun. 8, 1925 \|work=[[Time (magazine)\|Time]] \|date=8 June 1925 \|accessdate=2007-04-08}}</ref>

	In July 1922, in the wake of the Prince's tour, he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 4th class,<ref>''London Gazette'', 11 July 1922</ref> and in August 1922 was appointed as temporary [[equerry]] to the Prince of Wales.<ref>Ziegler Philip (2004) "''Metcalfe, Edward Dudley''", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 24 March 2007		In July 1922, in the wake of the Prince's tour, he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 4th class,<ref>''London Gazette'', 11 July 1922</ref> and in August 1922 was appointed as temporary [[equerry]] to the Prince of Wales.<ref>Ziegler Philip (2004) "''Metcalfe, Edward Dudley''", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 24 March 2007
	[http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101071695/ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]</ref> Metcalfe was provisionally promoted to the rank of [[major]] on 17 August 1922.<ref>''London Gazette'' 16 November 1923.</ref>		[http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101071695/ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]</ref> Metcalfe was provisionally promoted to the rank of [[major]] on 17 August 1922.<ref>''London Gazette'' 16 November 1923.</ref>

	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.		He was appointed an extra [[aide de camp]] to the Commander-in-Chief in India on 4 September 1926 and retired from the Indian Army on 6 September 1927.

	With his wife, he attended meetings of the [[Oswald Mosley]] organization in the [[January Club]],<ref>{{cite book \|title=Feminine fascism: women in Britain's fascist movement \|last=Gottlieb \|first=Julie V. \|year=2003 \|publisher=I.B.Tauris \|location=London \|isbn=1-86064-918-1 \|page=322 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4z6yVqP1NHYC}}</ref> and, in May 1934, a dinner at [[London]]'s [[Savoy Hotel]] of the [[Stewards (paramilitary organisation)\|British Fascist Blackshirts]],<ref>{{cite book \|title=The Duchess of Windsor: the secret life \|last=Higham \|first=Charles \|year=1989 \|publisher=Charter Books \|isbn=1-55773-227-2 \|page=106 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fanBQgAACAAJ}}</ref> of which he was a member.<ref>{{cite book \|title=Hidden Agenda: How the Duke of Windsor Betrayed the Allies \|last=Allen \|first=Martin \|year=2002 \|publisher=M. Evans and Co. \|location=New York \|isbn=0-333-90181-9 \|page=70 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ViMqAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>		With his wife, he attended meetings of the [[Oswald Mosley]] organization in the [[January Club]],<ref>{{cite book \|title=Feminine fascism: women in Britain's fascist movement \|last=Gottlieb \|first=Julie V. \|year=2003 \|publisher=I.B.Tauris \|location=London \|isbn=1-86064-918-1 \|page=322 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4z6yVqP1NHYC}}</ref> and, in May 1934, a dinner at [[London]]'s [[Savoy Hotel]] of the [[Stewards (paramilitary organisation)\|British Fascist Blackshirts]],<ref>{{cite book \|title=The Duchess of Windsor: the secret life \|last=Higham \|first=Charles \|year=1989 \|publisher=Charter Books \|isbn=1-55773-227-2 \|page=106 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fanBQgAACAAJ}}</ref> of which he was a member.<ref>{{cite book \|title=Hidden Agenda: How the Duke of Windsor Betrayed the Allies \|last=Allen \|first=Martin \|year=2002 \|publisher=M. Evans and Co. \|location=New York \|isbn=0-333-90181-9 \|page=70 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ViMqAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>
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	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,<ref name=Courcy /> but resigned his commission on 17 November 1942.		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,<ref name=Courcy /> but resigned his commission on 17 November 1942.

	Metcalfe and his wife Alexandra purchased a grand country house, Little Compton Manor, in 1939 near Moreton-in-Marsh in ~~Gloustershire~~. There they entertained friends and dignitaries, including the Windsors after the war. Based on proximity to Cheltenham, they befriended the American Maj. Gen. [[John C. H. Lee]] in 1942. Lee was Commanding General of the [[United States Army Services of Supply]] beginning in May 1942, and centred the vast buildup operations of the U.S. Army in Cheltenham, far enough west in Britain to be out of range of German Luftwaffe bombers. Lee spent many respite weekends at the Manor until the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, and also entertained many military and diplomatic visitors there, recouping from the crushing responsibilities of managing the largest logistical operation in the history of the world.{{citation needed\|date=February ~~2020~~}}		Metcalfe and his wife Alexandra purchased a grand country house, Little Compton Manor, in 1939 near Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. There they entertained friends and dignitaries, including the Windsors after the war. Based on proximity to Cheltenham, they befriended the American Maj. Gen. [[John C. H. Lee]] in 1942. Lee was Commanding General of the [[United States Army Services of Supply]] beginning in May 1942, and centred the vast buildup operations of the U.S. Army in Cheltenham, far enough west in Britain to be out of range of German Luftwaffe bombers. Lee spent many respite weekends at the Manor until the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, and also entertained many military and diplomatic visitors there, recouping from the crushing responsibilities of managing the largest logistical operation in the history of the world.{{citation needed\|date=February 2022}}

	==Personal life==		==Personal life==
	In 1925, Metcalfe married [[Lady Alexandra Curzon\|Alexandra Naldera Curzon]] ("''Baba''") (1904–1995),<ref>Tompsett Brian C. (2005) [http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gedlkup/n=royal?royal57972 Royal Genealogical Data Index to Royal Genealogical Data]{{dead link\|date=October 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved 17 March 2007</ref> 18 years younger than him, and the third daughter of [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston#First marriage .281895.E2.80.931906.29\|George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston]] and [[Viceroy of India]], and Lord Curzon's first wife, the American mercantile heiress [[Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston\|Mary Victoria Leiter]].		In 1925, Metcalfe married [[Lady Alexandra Curzon\|Alexandra Naldera Curzon]] ("''Baba''") (1904–1995),<ref>Tompsett Brian C. (2005) [http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gedlkup/n=royal?royal57972 Royal Genealogical Data Index to Royal Genealogical Data]{{dead link\|date=October 2017 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved 17 March 2007</ref> 18 years younger than him, and the third daughter of [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston#First marriage .281895.E2.80.931906.29\|George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston]] and [[Viceroy of India]], and Lord Curzon's first wife, the American mercantile heiress [[Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston\|Mary Victoria Leiter]].

	They had a son, David Metcalfe (1927), and twin daughters Dinah and Sheilah (1930).<ref name="Index entry">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=V%2Fs%2FLpPoV2GamUluBjkLXQ&scan=1\|title=Index entry\|accessdate=2 August 2020\|work=FreeBMD\|publisher=ONS}}</ref> They divorced in 1955.<ref name=Courcy />		They had a son, David Metcalfe (1927-2012), and twin daughters Dinah and Sheilah (1930).<ref name="Index entry">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=V%2Fs%2FLpPoV2GamUluBjkLXQ&scan=1\|title=Index entry\|accessdate=2 August 2020\|work=FreeBMD\|publisher=ONS}}</ref> They divorced in 1955.<ref name=Courcy />

	Metcalfe lived at South Hartfield House, [[Coleman's Hatch]], in ~~the~~ [[Ashdown Forest]], Sussex, about 40 miles south of [[London]].<ref name=Time09251939>{{cite news		Metcalfe lived at South Hartfield House, [[Coleman's Hatch]], in [[Ashdown Forest]], Sussex, about 40 miles south of [[London]].<ref name=Time09251939>{{cite news
	\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761962,00.html?iid=chix-sphere		\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761962,00.html?iid=chix-sphere
	\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524041113/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761962,00.html?iid=chix-sphere		\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524041113/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761962,00.html?iid=chix-sphere
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	\|accessdate=2007-04-04		\|accessdate=2007-04-04
	}}</ref>		}}</ref>

			Metcalfe's sister Muriel married John Strangman Russell, director of his family's woollen mill; their daughter was the BBC Radio commentator [[Audrey Russell]].<ref name="Pimlott Baker">{{cite web\|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/40697\|title=Audrey Russell\|last=Pimlott Baker\|first=Anne\|year=2004\|work=[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]\|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]\|access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==
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	[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]		[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
	[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]]		[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]]
	[[Category:~~People~~ from Dublin (city)]]		[[Category:Military personnel from Dublin (city)]]
	[[Category:1887 births]]		[[Category:1887 births]]
	[[Category:1957 deaths]]		[[Category:1957 deaths]]
	[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]]		[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]]
	[[Category:Equerries]]		[[Category:Equerries]]

->Philotam: /* Early life */

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Early life

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:34, 28 September 2021
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	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Metcalfe was born in Dublin, Ireland, on 16 January 1887. He was educated privately and at [[Trinity College, Dublin]].<ref name=Courcy>Courcy, Anne de (2002) "''The Viceroy's Daughters: the Lives of the Curzon Sisters''", W. Morrow, New York, amazon.co.uk, paperback. Retrieved 23 February 2007</ref>		Metcalfe was born in Dublin, Ireland, on 16 January 1887, the only son of Edward Metcalfe, member of the Irish General Prisons' Board, and Edith Maud Mary Howard-Hamilton. He was educated privately and at [[Trinity College, Dublin]].<ref name=Courcy>Courcy, Anne de (2002) "''The Viceroy's Daughters: the Lives of the Curzon Sisters''", W. Morrow, New York, amazon.co.uk, paperback. Retrieved 23 February 2007</ref>

	==Career==		==Career==

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{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Edward Dudley Metcalfe
| honorific_suffix = [[Royal Victoria Order|MVO]] [[Military Cross|MC]]
| office = [[Equerry]] to the [[Duke of Windsor]]
| term_start = 1939
| term_end = 1943
| birth_date = {{birth date|1887|1|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dublin]], [[Ireland]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1957|11|18|1887|1|16|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| image = File:Edward "Fruity" Metcalfe.png
| caption = Metcalfe in 1919
| nickname = Fruity
| education = [[Trinity College, Dublin]]
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Lady Alexandra Curzon]] |1925|1955|reason=div}}
| children = 3
| allegiance = {{UK}}
| branch = [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] [[Royal Air Force]]
| serviceyears = 1907–27 (Army) 1940–42 (RAF)
| rank = [[Major]] (Army) [[Flying officer]] (RAF)
| commands =
| unit =
| battles = [[World War I|First World War]]
| awards = [[Military Cross|MC]] [[Mentioned in despatches|Despatches]] [[Royal Victoria Order|MVO]]
| laterwork = Equerry to King Edward VIII
}}

'''Edward Dudley Metcalfe''' [[Royal Victoria Order|MVO]] [[Military Cross|MC]] (16 January 1887 – 18 November 1957), known as '''Fruity Metcalfe''', was an officer in the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] and a close friend and [[equerry]] of the Prince of Wales, later [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VIII]] and [[Duke of Windsor]].

==Early life==
Metcalfe was born in Dublin, Ireland, on 16 January 1887. He was educated privately and at [[Trinity College, Dublin]].<ref name=Courcy>Courcy, Anne de (2002) "''The Viceroy's Daughters: the Lives of the Curzon Sisters''", W. Morrow, New York, amazon.co.uk, paperback. Retrieved 23 February 2007</ref>

==Career==
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 [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] and joining 3rd [[Skinner's Horse]].<ref>Indian Army List October 1909</ref> He was promoted [[lieutenant]] on 17 November 1909.<ref name="Indian Army List April 1912">Indian Army List April 1912</ref>

He attended the 1911 [[Delhi Durbar]] with his regiment, and in 1912 attended the Cavalry School at [[Sagar, Madhya Pradesh|Saugor]].<ref name="Indian Army List April 1912"/> On 12 August 1914 he was appointed Adjutant of the Governor's Body Guard, Bombay.<ref>Indian Army List January 1915</ref>

===World War I===
Metcalfe did not remain in India for long; with the outbreak of the Great War his regiment was mobilised and was sent to France late in 1914. He was promoted temporary captain 1 September 1915.

He served in France 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.<ref name=Gazette04061917>{{cite news |url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30011/pages/3341 |title=Rank of Captain to be antedated to 1st September, 1915, but without pay or allowances |work=[[London Gazette]] |date=6 April 1917 |accessdate=2012-11-06}}</ref>

Metcalfe was [[mentioned in dispatches]], reported in the ''London Gazette'' on 15 August 1917, and ten days later came notice that he had been awarded the [[Military Cross]] for distinguished service in [[Mesopotamia]].<ref>''London Gazette'', 25 August 1917</ref>
[[File:Edward VIII with his staff wearing Happi 1922.jpg|thumb|350px|Pictured in local costume in Japan in 1922 (L-R): Metcalfe, [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward, Prince of Wales]]. and [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Louis Mountbatten]]]]
In 1918 Metcalfe was attached to the Signal Service, where he remained until January 1920, when he was attached to the 27th Light Cavalry.<ref>Indian Army List, January 1920</ref> By early 1921 he was back serving with the 3rd Skinner's Horse.<ref>Indian Army List, July 1921</ref>

===Between the wars===
By July 1921, Metcalfe was serving with the Indian State Forces of Indore. 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, appointing him an aide de camp; he subsequently accompanied the prince on his tour of Japan.<ref name="Time06081925 ">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723219,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524002909/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,723219,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 May 2011 |title=Milestones: Jun. 8, 1925 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=8 June 1925 |accessdate=2007-04-08}}</ref>

In July 1922, in the wake of the Prince's tour, he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, 4th class,<ref>''London Gazette'', 11 July 1922</ref> and in August 1922 was appointed as temporary [[equerry]] to the Prince of Wales.<ref>Ziegler Philip (2004) "''Metcalfe, Edward Dudley''", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 24 March 2007
[http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101071695/ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]</ref> Metcalfe was provisionally promoted to the rank of [[major]] on 17 August 1922.<ref>''London Gazette'' 16 November 1923.</ref>

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.

With his wife, he attended meetings of the [[Oswald Mosley]] organization in the [[January Club]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Feminine fascism: women in Britain's fascist movement |last=Gottlieb |first=Julie V. |year=2003 |publisher=I.B.Tauris |location=London |isbn=1-86064-918-1 |page=322 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4z6yVqP1NHYC}}</ref> and, in May 1934, a dinner at [[London]]'s [[Savoy Hotel]] of the [[Stewards (paramilitary organisation)|British Fascist Blackshirts]],<ref>{{cite book |title=The Duchess of Windsor: the secret life |last=Higham |first=Charles |year=1989 |publisher=Charter Books |isbn=1-55773-227-2 |page=106 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fanBQgAACAAJ}}</ref> of which he was a member.<ref>{{cite book |title=Hidden Agenda: How the Duke of Windsor Betrayed the Allies |last=Allen |first=Martin |year=2002 |publisher=M. Evans and Co. |location=New York |isbn=0-333-90181-9 |page=70 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ViMqAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>

After the king abdicated on 11 December 1936 and became the [[Duke of Windsor]], Metcalfe was best man at his wedding in France to [[Wallis Simpson]] on 3 June 1937.

===World War II===
Metcalf served as [[equerry]] to the Duke of Windsor from 1939 in Paris and Antibes until the German invasion of France in 1940 prompted the Windsors' evacuation and, later, the Duke's appointment to govern the Bahamas.<ref name=Donaldson>{{cite book|last=Donaldson|first=Frances|title=Edward VIII|year=1976|publisher=Futura Publications|location=London|isbn=0860077357|edition=1st Omega}} Donaldson quotes extensively from Metcalfe's letters written home to his wife Baba in England.</ref> Fruity's loyalty was not rewarded by the Duke - Windsor fled Paris in May 1940 following the German invasion, leaving Fruity to find his own way home back to England.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/lady-alexandra-metcalfe-1595421.html Obituary of Lady Alexander Metcalfe, The Independent, Wednesday 9 August 1995] Retrieved 24 January 2020</ref> The Duke was apparently more concerned for the welfare of his terriers than his equerry;<ref name="Allen p188">[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1TiXa-fPRYEC&pg=PA188&dq=fruity+metcalfe+resignation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY4reVhpznAhUpSBUIHbTpDv4Q6AEIMTAB#v=onepage&q=fruity%20metcalfe%20resignation&f=false ''Hidden Agenda: How the Duke of Windsor Betrayed the Allies Hardcover'', by Martin A. Allen (2002), p188] Retrieved 24 January 2020</ref> at a dinner in Paris in May 1940 Fruity unburdened himself to his friend Clare Luce: "The Duke has ordered me to take those bloody cairns [dogs] to [[Château de la Croë|La Croë]] [in the South of France]. I was a soldier! When I resigned from my regiment in India to serve the Prince, it wasn't to be a valet to his God-damned dogs!".<ref name="Allen p188"/>

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,<ref name=Courcy /> but resigned his commission on 17 November 1942.

Metcalfe and his wife Alexandra purchased a grand country house, Little Compton Manor, in 1939 near Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloustershire. There they entertained friends and dignitaries, including the Windsors after the war. Based on proximity to Cheltenham, they befriended the American Maj. Gen. [[John C. H. Lee]] in 1942. Lee was Commanding General of the [[United States Army Services of Supply]] beginning in May 1942, and centred the vast buildup operations of the U.S. Army in Cheltenham, far enough west in Britain to be out of range of German Luftwaffe bombers. Lee spent many respite weekends at the Manor until the D-Day Invasion in June 1944, and also entertained many military and diplomatic visitors there, recouping from the crushing responsibilities of managing the largest logistical operation in the history of the world.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

==Personal life==
In 1925, Metcalfe married [[Lady Alexandra Curzon|Alexandra Naldera Curzon]] ("''Baba''") (1904–1995),<ref>Tompsett Brian C. (2005) [http://www3.dcs.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gedlkup/n=royal?royal57972 Royal Genealogical Data Index to Royal Genealogical Data]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Retrieved 17 March 2007</ref> 18 years younger than him, and the third daughter of [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston#First marriage .281895.E2.80.931906.29|George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston]] and [[Viceroy of India]], and Lord Curzon's first wife, the American mercantile heiress [[Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston|Mary Victoria Leiter]].

They had a son, David Metcalfe (1927), and twin daughters Dinah and Sheilah (1930).<ref name="Index entry">{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=V%2Fs%2FLpPoV2GamUluBjkLXQ&scan=1|title=Index entry|accessdate=2 August 2020|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref> They divorced in 1955.<ref name=Courcy />

Metcalfe lived at South Hartfield House, [[Coleman's Hatch]], in the [[Ashdown Forest]], Sussex, about 40 miles south of [[London]].<ref name=Time09251939>{{cite news
|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761962,00.html?iid=chix-sphere
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524041113/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761962,00.html?iid=chix-sphere
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=24 May 2011
|title=Good Old Duke
|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]
|date=25 September 1939
|accessdate=2007-04-04
}}</ref>

== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Metcalfe}}
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]]
[[Category:People from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:1887 births]]
[[Category:1957 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]]
[[Category:Equerries]]