George Erroll Prior-Palmer


George Erroll Prior-Palmer, was a senior 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 General officer commanding 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.

Early life

The son of Prior Spunner Prior-Palmer, of County Sligo and 32 Merrion Square, Dublin, and Anne Leslie Gason, of Kilteelagh, County Tipperary, Prior-Palmer was educated in England at Wellington College and at the Royal Military College Sandhurst.

Army career

From Sandhurst Prior-Palmer was commissioned in 1923 as a Second Lieutenant into the 9th Lancers in which his elder brother Otho Prior-Palmer was already serving. 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 as commander of 27th Armoured Brigade, 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 from the service in 1958.

Business career

In 1958 Prior-Palmer joined the British & Commonwealth Shipping Company. 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.

Other appointments

In 1935, Prior-Palmer married firstly Katherine Edith, daughter of Frank Bibby, and with her had one daughter, Anne. In 1948, he married secondly Lady Doreen Hersey Winifred Hope, younger daughter of Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow, and they had one son, Simon Erroll, and one daughter, Lucinda Jane.
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.