Walter Marlborough Pryor
Walter Marlborough Pryor | |
|---|---|
 Detail from oil on canvas painting of Walter Marlborough Pryor DSO*, 1957, by Maurice Frederick Codner. | |
| Born | 18 November 1880 Hitchin, Hertfordshire |
| Died | 28 May 1962 (aged 81) Hitchin, Hertfordshire |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1914-1918 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | Hertfordshire Regiment, Royal Warwickshire Regiment |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | DSO and Bar |
| Other work | Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire |
Lieutenant Colonel Walter Marlborough Pryor, DSO & Bar, DL, JP (18 November 1880 – 28 May 1962) was a British soldier.[1][2]
Early life[edit]
Pryor was the only son of Marlborough Robert Pryor, DL, JP, Weston Park, Hitchin, Hertfordshire and his wife. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge where he gained a BA (1901), and an MA (1905).[3] In 1910 he married the writer Ethne Philippa, only daughter of Sir Norman Moore, 1st Baronet. They had three sons; John Marlborough Pryor (1911-1984), Mark Gillachrist Marlborough Pryor (1919-1970) and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Matthew Marlborough Pryor MBE (known as Matthew; 1917-2005). His grandson by Matthew is the archaeologist Francis Pryor; by Mark his grandchildren include the author William Pryor and the artist Lucy Raverat.
First World War[edit]
During the First World War Pryor served as an officer in the British Army, beginning the war as an acting Captain in the Hertfordshire Regiment.[4] In September 1917 he was promoted to Acting Lieutenant Colonel and placed in command of 1/6th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, leading them on the Western and Italian Fronts for the remainder of the war.[5] During the conflict he was mentioned in despatches four times. In 1917 he was made a companion of the Distinguished Service Order, to which a Bar was added in 1918. Additionally, he was awarded the Italian Bronze Medal of Military Valor in 1919.[6]
Later life[edit]
After the war, he was chairman of the Sun Fire Insurance Company and the Sun Life Assurance Society.[7]
He also served as a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.
References[edit]
- ^ PRYOR, Lt-Col Walter Marlborough’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 11 Jan 2012
- ^ The Times, Tuesday, May 29, 1962; pg. 17; Issue 55403; col A Obituary Category: Obituaries
- ^ "Pryor, Walter Marlborough (PRR898WM)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ "No. 28953". The London Gazette. 27 October 1914. p. 8651.
- ^ "No. 30485". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 January 1918. p. 1056.
- ^ "No. 31345". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 16 May 1919. p. 6200.
- ^ "A Cambridge Alumni Database - Walter Marlborough Pryor". Retrieved 5 September 2012.
- 1880 births
- 1962 deaths
- People educated at Eton College
- Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
- Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- Deputy Lieutenants of Hertfordshire
- Hertfordshire Regiment officers
- Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor
- Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers officers
- People from Hitchin
- British Army personnel of World War I
- Military personnel from Hertfordshire