Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour

Sir Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour
Born 15 September 1913(1913-09-15)
Knightsbridge, London
Died 28 December 1994(1994-12-28) (aged 81)
West Chiltington, West Sussex
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service 1934 - 1974
Rank General
Commands held 2nd Bn Coldstream Guards
First Brigade of Guards
Battles/wars World War II
Malayan Emergency
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross

General Sir Robert George Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour KCB, CBE, DSO, MC (15 September 1913 – 28 December 1994) was a General officer in the British Army.

Contents

Early life

Robert George Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour was born on 15 September 1913 at Knightsbridge, London. He was the son of Robert Shekelton Balfour and Mabel Iris FitzGeorge.[1] Through his mother he was descendant of George III of the United Kingdom through his grandson Prince George, Duke of Cambridge and his mistress Sarah Fairbrother. On 1922 his name was legally changed to Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour by deed poll.[2] Victor was educated at Eton College and at King's College, Cambridge.[3]

Military career

Victor gained the rank of officer in 1934 in the service of the Coldstream Guards.[3] He fought in the Second World War, serving in North Africa, Sicily and North-West Europe as a staff officer with XXX Corps.[3] In 1944 he gained the rank of Brigadier while serving on the general staff of VIII Corps.[4] In 1948 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency.[4] He was made commander of the First Brigade of Guards in 1958, Deputy Director of Staff Duties in 1960 and Chief of Staff at Southern Command in 1962.[3] He went on to be Director of Military Operations in 1964, Senior Army Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in 1967 and Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1968.[4] His last appointment was as British Military Representative to NATO before he retired in 1974.[5]

Honours and awards

Victor held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of West Sussex in 1977.[2]

Marriage and family

On 4 December 1943 he married Mary Diana Christian, daughter of Admiral Arthur Henry Christian and Geraldine Diana Monsell, at the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace.[1][3]

They had two children:

Death

He died on 28 December 1994 at West Chiltington, West Sussex. He was buried on 4 January 1995 at Findon Crematorium, Worthing, West Sussex.[5]

Ancestry

Notes and sources

  1. ^ a b C. Arnold McNaughton, The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy, in 3 volumes (London, U.K.: Garnstone Press, 1973), volume 2, page 519. Hereinafter cited as The Book of Kings.
  2. ^ a b Robin F. Balfour, "re: Admiral Arthur Christian," e-mail message to Darryl Lundy, 7 April 2004. Hereinafter cited as "re: Admiral Arthur Christian."
  3. ^ a b c d e Announcements, The Times, London, U.K., 29 December 1984. Hereinafter cited as The Times.
  4. ^ a b c Generals.dk
  5. ^ a b Richard Glanville-Brown, online <e-mail address>, Richard Glanville-Brown (RR 2, Milton, Ontario, Canada), downloaded 17 August 2005.
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick		 Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff
1968–1970		 Succeeded by
Sir Cecil Blacker