Education
Metcalfe was educated privately and at Trinity College, Dublin. He attended the 1911 Delhi Durbar with his regiment, and in 1912 attended the Cavalry School at Saugor.
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Fruity Metcalfe
Edit ProfileCareer
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 would have spent a year attached to a British regiment in India before, 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 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. He was awarded the Military Cross for distinguished service in Mesopotamia in the London Gazette, 25 August 1917, and received a Mention in Despatches in the London Gazette, 15 August 1917. In 1918 he was attached to the Signal Service 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. He was appointed temporary equerry to the Prince of Wales in August 1922.
He was provisionally promoted to major 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 Edward VIII when the king, as Prince of Wales was touring India in 1922.
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 1940 German invasion of France prompted the Windsors" evacuation and appointment to the Bahamas. On 10 August 1940, Metcalfe was commissioned a pilot officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force.
He was promoted to flying officer 10 August 1941.
He was posted to Cairo in November 1941, returning to the United Kingdom at the end of September 1942, but resigned his commission 17 November 1942.
Achievements
Membership
Edward was impressed with Metcalfe"s knowledge of horses and made him a member of his personal staff
