Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Edmund Colquhoun Pery, 5th Earl of Limerick (16 October 1888 – 4 August 1967) was a British peer and soldier.

Life

Pery was the eldest son of the 3rd Earl of Limerick and his second wife, Isabella, and was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England *Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States *Éton, a commune in the Meuse depa ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

. He was commissioned into the

City of London Yeomanry A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he fought in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and at the Battle of Gallipoli, ending the war as a

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. After the war, Pery continued to serve in the City of London Yeomanry, which became a

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

, and inherited his half-brother's titles in 1929. Lord Limerick was an Honorary

of the City of London Yeomanry (TA) from 1932–52, Vice-Chairman from 1937–41 and then Chairman of the City of London Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Association from 1941–50 and Vice-Chairman from 1942–49, then Chairman from 1949–54, then President of the Council of Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Associations from 1954–56. He was also Chairman of the Medical Research Council from 1952–60. His GBE in 1954 & his CH in 1960 were matched by his wife Angela's GBE in 1954 & her CH in 1974. They are the only married couple in British history both awarded these two top honours, and even to both hold the GBE. Also – until

Lady Antonia Fraser Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, (; born 27 August 1932) is a British author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction. She is the widow of the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Harold Pinter (1930–2008), and prior to his ...

's 2017 CH matched her Nobel Literature Laureate husband

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

's 2008 CH – the only married couple both awarded the CH.

Family

On 1 June 1926, he had married Angela Olivia Trotter (1897–1981), a daughter of Lt Col. Sir Henry Trotter; they had three children: * Patrick Edmund, Viscount Glentworth (1930–2003) * The Hon. Michael Henry Colquhoun Pery (8 May 1937- 19 May 2021) * Lady Anne Patricia Pery (born 1928), married Sir Peter Francis Thorne, becoming Lady Anne Thorne. She was an eminent lecturer in Physics at the

Blackett Laboratory The Blackett Laboratory is part of the Imperial College Faculty of Natural Sciences and has housed the Department of Physics at Imperial College London since its completion in 1961. Named after experimental physicist Patrick Blackett who establ ...

Imperial College of Science and Technology Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a cultural district in South Kensington that included museums, ...

, London. In 1954, his wife Angela was elevated to Order of the British Empire, Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) and in 1974, she was made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH). A. M. Bryans, 'Pery , Angela Olivia, countess of Limerick (1897–1981)', rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 200
accessed 4 Feb 2017
/ref> Lord Limerick died of suicide in 1967 after a protracted bout of arthritis. His titles were inherited by his elder son, Patrick, who died in 2003.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Limerick, Edmund Pery, 5th Earl Of 1888 births 1967 deaths Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War I Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath British military personnel who died by suicide People educated at Eton College Alumni of New College, Oxford City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) officers Earls of Limerick, 5 Pery family, Edmund