Eric Seal

Eric Arthur Seal was born in Ilford, London Borough of Redbridge, the son of Arthur John Todd Seal and Wilhelmina Henrietta "Mina" Youll. His parents had married in Edmonton, London on 10 August 1895.{{cite web |title=England & Wales, Marriage Registration for W Youll and A Seal |url=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8913&h=32629966&tid=&pid=&queryId=47603d1b9fdad1854308f1bd2ba53f84&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Nun4&_phstart=successSource |website=Ancestry.com.}} He was the eldest of 6 children. During the First World War he served as a Second lieutenant

in the Royal Flying Corps and later in the Royal Air Force in No. 62 Squadron RAF.{{cite web|url=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61400&h=153118&tid=&pid=&queryId=d2ccff81bb595f36c7b3bda40615fe0d&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Nun6&_phstart=successSource|title=Royal Air Force Airmen Records, 1918-1940 for Sir Eric A Seal (held on Fold3)|website=Ancestry.com.}}

Seal initially entered the Patent Office in 1921, and continued to work his way through the UK Civil Service ranks within the Admiralty from 1925 onwards.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0CcOEAAAQBAJ&dq=eric+seal+honours&pg=PT999|title=Henry 'Chips' Channon: The Diaries (Volume 2): 1938-43|author= Channon, Chips|date=9 September 2021|isbn=9781473567207}} He is referred to in Arthur Marder’s memoirs as a person of influence within the Admiralty.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5lICgAAQBAJ&dq=sir+eric+seal+civil+servant&pg=PP13|title=From the Dardanelles to Oran: Studies of the Royal Navy in War and Peace|author= Marder, Arthur|date=10 June 2015|isbn=9781848322523}} Seal had served as Principal Private Secretary to Duff Cooper and James Stanhope, 7th Earl Stanhope in their respective roles as First Lord of the Admiralty.

On the 3 September 1939 whilst in the First Sea Lord's office shortly after 11'o'clock when the ultimatum sent to the Germans was unanswered, Seal bowed to Ethel Goodenough and said "Miss Goodenough, I have the honour to tell you that we are at war".{{Cite book|last=Mason|first=Ursula Stuart|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8zCUBQAAQBAJ&q=goodenough|title=Britannia's Daughters|date=2012-06-19|publisher=Pen and Sword|pages=39–41|isbn=978-1-84884-678-4|language=en}}

Within the eight months that Churchill served as First Lord of the Admiralty, Seal proved himself to be invaluable, to the extent that just weeks into Churchill’s role of Prime minister, the 1st Earl Alexander of Hillsborough was instructed to release Seal from his daily duties, and transfer him for an extended period to Downing Street to serve as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime minister.{{cite web|url=https://www-archives.chu.cam.ac.uk/perl/node?a=a;reference=CHAR%2020%2F1%2F36|title=CHAR 20/1/36-Sir Eric Seal mentioned in correspondence dated 28 Dec 1940|publisher=Churchill College Cambridge Archive}} In this role, he became Churchill’s trusted advisor on public affairs.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LkwBzKThC9EC&dq=eric+seal+honours&pg=PA290|title=Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Volume 11: Sixth Series|date=6 March 2003|publisher=Royal Historical Society|page=290|isbn=9780521815604}} Seal had the ability to get to the bottom of the subject matter and has been described as Churchill’s ferret.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8lZ-AwAAQBAJ&dq=sir+eric+seal+civil+servant&pg=PA148|title=Historical Dreadnoughts: Marder and Roskill: Writing and Fighting Naval History|author=Gough, Barry|date=5 July 2010|page=148|isbn=9781848320772}}

As Churchill’s Principal Private Secretary, {{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=9&docId=GALE%7CCS35206834&docType=Article&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CCS35206834&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=Ministers' Private Secretaries|publisher=The Times, London, May 18|year=1940|page=2}} Seal was present at the most important strategic conferences of the early war period, and the making of key political decisions affecting the United Kingdom, such as the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir and the Battle of Britain.{{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=41&docId=GALE%7CCS118190116&docType=Letter+to+the+editor&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=3&contentSet=GALE%7CCS118190116&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=Churchill at War|author=Seal,Eric|url-access=subscription|publisher=The Times (London, England), January 4|year=1969}} According to Seal: {{quote|“Churchill was convinced that the Americans were impressed by ruthlessness in dealing with a ruthless foe; and in his mind the American reaction to our attack on the French fleet in Oran was of the first importance".}} On 4 July 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt told the French ambassador that he would have done the same.{{sfn|Smith|2010|p=92}} Jean Lacouture, in a biography of Charles De Gaulle, blamed the tragedy mainly on miscommunication. Other aides during this period included Jock Colville, John Peck, Leslie Rowan, Patrick Kinna and Elizabeth Nel.{{cite web|url=https://lincolnandchurchill.org/churchill/churchills-team-in-wwii/|title=Churchill's Team in WW2|publisher=The Lehrman Institute}}

Seal, in a letter to Arthur Marder, as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, described himself as “a sole survivor” from Churchill’s previous incarnation, as First Lord of the Admiralty (1939–1940).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cVB-AwAAQBAJ&dq=sir+eric+seal+civil+servant&pg=PA284|title=Churchill and the Admirals|author=Roskill, Stephen |date=30 August 2004|page=284|isbn=9781844151042}} John Gerald Lang, a very able and clear headed civil servant in charge of the Admiralty War Registry, described Seal during the Norwegian campaign as “an able man” and “a very assured person and apt to be certain of the rightness of his view”.

The Churchill Archives Centre (CAC) holds a number boxes of his official work papers (from between 1939 and 1955) that cover a wide range of subject matter; from the questionable sympathies of Axel Wenner-Gren and Edward VIII, to the design of an air raid shelter at Chartwell House, Churchill’s weekend residence in Kent;{{cite web|url=https://www-archives.chu.cam.ac.uk/perl/node?a=a;reference=CHAR%2020%2F32|title=Prime Minister: correspondence and papers on various matters, including the Churchill Family and Chartwell. Reference code: CHAR 20/32}} to when he was released for “special duties in the Admiralty” during May 1941, and was replaced by John Martin.{{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=11&docId=GALE%7CCS70203568&docType=Article&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CCS70203568&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=The Prime Minister's Secretary|year=1941|page=4| url-access=subscription |publisher=The Times, London, May 16}} These new “special duties” were highly strategic and related to the future Lend-Lease agreement, which was by now crucial to the security of the United Kingdom. Churchill appointed him as Deputy Secretary of the Admiralty for North America to secure an agreement with the United States.{{cite web|url=https://www.churchillarchive.com/search?searchString=Eric+seal+&pageSize=25&pageSize=25&searchFromYear=&searchToYear=&action=toggleFacet-taxon-CAC_TOP_000004&exportFormat=endNote&searchFormSubmit=true|title=Sir Eric Seal Papers|publisher=Churchill Archive}} Although his work papers are now part of the Churchill Archives, some of his records, including correspondence with Churchill’s prime scientific adviser Frederick Lindemann, 1st Viscount Cherwell during 1945, form part of the National Archives.{{cite web|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F57421|title=Sir Eric Seal 1940-45, correspondence with Lord Cherwell (held at Oxford University, Nuffield College Library)|publisher=The National Archives}} Personal papers from the time he was a Private Secretary have been made readily available to historians by his family.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SWmHDwAAQBAJ&dq=Sir+Eric+Seal%27s+publication+on+Sir+Winston+Churchill&pg=PT13|title=Winston S. Churchill: Finest Hour, 1939–1941|author=Gilbert,Martin|date=5 April 2015|isbn=9780795344633}}

Seal continued to be a significant influence upon Churchill’s own writings; particularly in any references to Julius Caesar.{{cite web|url=https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu/churchill-as-caesar/|title=Eric Seal influence on the writings of W S Churchill|publisher=The Churchill Project, Hillsdale College}}

After 1945, Seal held a number of senior civil service roles, such as Chief of Trade and Industries, replacing Percy Mills, 1st Viscount Mills, where he headed various collaborative events with the United States, Russia and France; notable for being a career civil servant leading the British Delegation. In 1947 he was physically described by the United States Department of War as wearing glasses, being of medium build and a pipe smoker.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DvgsAAAAIAAJ&dq=eric+seal+washington&pg=PA17|title=A Year of Potsdam German Economy Since Surrender: Prepared by the Economics Division |year=1946 |publisher=United States War Department}} During this period he was Vice President of the economic sub-commission on roads and railways Germany (British Element).{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kaCrJ4V8uRYC&q=eric+seal+cb+works|title=Civil Engineering and Public Works Review - Volumes 42-44|page=293|year=1947}}{{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=12&docId=GALE%7CCS35472583&docType=Article&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CCS35472583&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=News In Brief|url-access=subscription|year=1947| publisher=The Times (London, England), June 7}}

He later became Deputy Parliamentary Under Secretary for State for Germany in the Foreign Office.

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pP-vwHk6c-MC&dq=eric+seal+washington&pg=PA44|title=Rebuilding Germany: The Creation of the Social Market Economy, 1945–1957|page=44|author=Van Hook,James C.|date=10 May 2004|isbn=9781139452199}} Thereafter he moved onto the Ministry of Works. He was knighted (KBE) for his services in the 1955 New Year Honours,{{Cite web|title=Page 11 {{!}} Supplement 40366, 31 December 1954 {{!}} London Gazette {{!}} The Gazette|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40366/supplement/11|access-date=2022-02-14|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}} and retired as a Deputy Director, Ministry of Works in 1959.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KoEkAQAAMAAJ&q=eric+seal+cb+sir|title=Roads and Road Construction, Volume 37|publisher=Carriers Publishing Company|year=1959}}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5DQPAQAAIAAJ&q=eric+seal+cb+sir|title=The Municipal Year Book and Public Services Directory|publisher=Municipal Publications Limited|year=1959}}

His publication on Sir Winston Churchill in 1970 is held within the National Archives.{{cite web|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10907916|title=Sir Eric Seal's publication on Sir Winston Churchill|year=1970}}

He is listed in Who was Who.{{cite book|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-159416|title=Sir Eric Seal|publisher=Who’s Who 2021 and Who Was Who (UK)|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U159416|isbn=978-0-19-954089-1}} Various sources cite an unpublished autobiography of his life, which provided a personal perspective and a first hand “working level” overview of Churchills inner circle, as well as his experiences during a critical and decisive period of World War II.

He married Gladys Leadbitter in Epsom, Surrey in 1926. They had three children.{{cite web |title=England & Wales, Marriage Registration for Eric A Seal|url=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8753&h=61939488&tid=&pid=&queryId=46d3ae30813f2f9056b1e7e417607068&usePUB=true&_phsrc=FGJ1&_phstart=successSource|website=Ancestry.com.}} A year later he became the brother in law of his colleague, Noel Atherton, through the latter's marriage to Daisy Phyllis Leadbitter, his wife's younger sister.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Z5ICgAAQBAJ&q=sir+Eric+Seal+atherton&pg=PT8|title=From the Dardanelles to Oran: Studies of the Royal Navy in War and Peace|year=1974|author=Marder, Arthur J.|isbn=9781473849259}}

Seal was active with the Additional Curates Society, an Anglican devotion society{{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=24&docId=GALE%7CCS218980017&docType=Letter+to+the+editor&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=2&contentSet=GALE%7CCS218980017&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=Christian Stewardship|author=Seal, Eric| url-access=subscription |publisher=The Times (London, England) May 17|year=1960}} whilst living at his home “Seaforth”, located at Woodfield Lane, Ashtead on Surrey.

Seal died in West Itchenor, Chichester, Sussex on 31 March 1972 at the age of 73.{{cite web |title=England & Wales, Death Registration for Sir Eric A Seal |url=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7579&h=44135119&tid=&pid=&queryId=b56570a61e4932d29908c503739ece0d&usePUB=true&_phsrc=FGJ6&_phstart=successSource|website=Ancestry.com.}} His obituary was published in The Times.{{cite web|url=http://callisto.ggsrv.com/imgsrv/FastPDF/UBER2/0FFO-1972-APR03-008&15911&1637665587.pdf|title="Sir Eric Seal"|url-access=subscription |publisher=The Times of London, April 3|year=1972|page=8|work=The Times}}{{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=48&docId=GALE%7CCS271414923&docType=Obituary&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=3&contentSet=GALE%7CCS271414923&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=Letters to the Editor "Sir Eric Seal", April 11| url-access=subscription |year=1972|page=16|work=The Times}} His wife died on 20 June 1978.{{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=52&docId=GALE%7CCS322274022&docType=Obituary&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=3&contentSet=GALE%7CCS322274022&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=Lady Seal, widow of Sir Eric Seal dies|url-access=subscription |publisher=The Times (London, England), July 6 |year=1978}}

A keen yachtsman, in 1956, Seal facilitated the purchase of the first Civil Service Sailing Association sailing yacht. The “Melanie”, a 42’ yacht was built in 1919 by the Abeking & Rasmussen shipyard. Seal and his colleagues restored the yacht.{{cite web|url=https://www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/restoring-melanies-deck/|title=Restoring Melanie's Deck|publisher=Civil Service Sports Association}} In the 1970s, Seal left his part share in the “Melanie” to Peter Townrow; his final wishes being to keep the vessel in a good state of repair, in order to continue the tradition of utilising the vessel to promote sailing to the underprivileged.

He was nominated as the Civil Service Sailing Association’s First Commodore,{{cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=63&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=26&docId=GALE%7CCS236675117&docType=Article&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=2&contentSet=GALE%7CCS236675117&searchId=R1&userGroupName=wikipedia&inPS=true|title=Court Circular, Jan. 13|year=1961|publisher=The Times (London, England)}} officially opening the club on 22 June 1958.{{cite web|url=https://www.littletonsc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/LSC_History1958_2008.pdf|title=Sir Eric Seal and Littleton Sailing Club|publisher=Littleton Sailing Club}}

He was a sizeable monetary contributor to the Civil Service and Post Office Life Boat Fund in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. A Civil Service lifeboat #36 was named “The Eric Seal”, in his honour and stationed at Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders.{{cite web|url=http://thelifeboatfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/030_The%20Lifeboat%20Fund%20Annual%20Report%201979.pdf|title=The Annual Report of the Civil Service and Post Office Life Boat Fund|year=1979|website=thelifeboatfund.org}} The lifeboat was officially named by his wife, Lady Seal{{cite web|url=https://rnliarchive.blob.core.windows.net/media/1440/0449.pdf#page=13|title=Lady Gladys Seal, whose son, the Reverend Philip Seal, took part in the service of dedication on 3 August 1973|page=13|publisher=RLNI Archive}} on 3 August 1973.{{cite web|url=http://thelifeboatfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/035_The%20Lifeboat%20Fund%20Annual%20Report%201973.pdf|title=Naming of the vessel "Eric Seal", August 3, 1973}}

• The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century British Politics. Edited by John Ramsden. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002
• Gale Research Company. Biography and Genealogy Master Index

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=Smith |first=C. |title=England's Last War Against France: Fighting Vichy 1940–1942 |year=2010 |orig-year=2009 |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |location=London |edition=Phoenix |isbn=978-0-7538-2705-5 }}

{{s-start}}

{{s-gov}}

{{s-bef|before=Arthur Rucker}}

{{s-ttl|title=Principal Private Secretary
to the Prime Minister|years=1940–1941}}

{{s-aft|after=John Martin}}

{{s-end}}

{{Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seale, Eric}}

Category:1898 births

Category:1972 deaths

Category:British civil servants

Category:Principal private secretaries to the prime minister

Category:Winston Churchill

Category:Knights_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire