Richard Peirse (RAF officer)

Air Vice Marshal Sir Richard Charles Fairfax Peirse, KCVO, CB (16 March 1931 – 8 February 2014) [1] was a senior Royal Air Force officer who served as Defence Services Secretary from 1985 to 1988.

This article is about the late-20th century air vice marshal. For his father, an air chief marshal during the Second World War, see Richard Peirse. For his grandfather, an admiral, see Richard Peirse (Royal Navy officer).

Sir Richard Charles Fairfax Peirse
Born(1931-03-16)16 March 1931
Blackheath, London
Died8 February 2014(2014-02-08) (aged 82)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1952–88
RankAir Vice Marshal
Commands heldRoyal Air Force College Cranwell (1982–85)
RAF Waddington (1973–76)
No. 51 Squadron (1968–69)
AwardsKnight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Companion of the Order of the Bath
RelationsAir Chief Marshal Sir Richard Peirse (father)
Admiral Sir Richard Peirse (grandfather)
Other workGentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod
Registrar and Secretary of the Order of the Bath

Early life

Peirse was born on 16 March 1931, the son of Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Peirse. He was educated at Bradfield College.

Military career

He attended the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.[2] Commissioned a pilot officer in the RAF on 9 April 1952,[3] he was promoted to flying officer on 9 April 1953[4] and to flight lieutenant on 9 October 1954.[5] He was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1959 [6] and to wing commander on 1 July 1965.[7]

Peirse became Commanding Officer of No. 51 Squadron in 1968.[2] Promoted to group captain on 1 July 1969,[8] he became Deputy Captain of the Queen's Flight that year. He was Station Commander at RAF Waddington in 1973 and Deputy Director of Operational Requirements in 1976,[2] and Director of Personnel (Air) in 1977. Promoted to air commodore on 1 January 1978,[9] he became Director of Operational Requirements in 1980.

On 30 January 1982, Air Commodore Peirse was appointed Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, with the acting rank of air vice marshal.[2][10] He was promoted to substantive air vice marshal on 6 July.[11] Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1984 New Year Honours List,[12] he served as Defence Services Secretary from 1985 to his retirement.[2] On 9 March 1988 Peirse was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order,[13] and retired from the RAF on 16 June.[14]

Later life

In retirement, he was Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod between 1990 and 2002[15] and Registrar and Secretary of the Order of the Bath between 2002 and 2006.[16][17]

Personal life

In 1955 Peirse married Karalie Grace Cox; they had two daughters, Amanda and Susan. After his first marriage was dissolved, he married Deirdre Mary O'Donovan in 1963; they had one son, who died (Richard b. 1965). Following the death of his second wife he married Anna Jill Margaret Long (née Latey) in 1977.[2]

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References
  1. PEIRSE
  2. Who's Who 2010, A & C Black, 2010, ISBN 978-1-408-11414-8
  3. The London Gazette, 29 April 1952
  4. The London Gazette, 17 April 1953
  5. The London Gazette, 15 October 1954
  6. The London Gazette, 30 June 1959
  7. The London Gazette, 2 July 1965
  8. The London Gazette, 1 July 1969
  9. The London Gazette, 10 January 1978
  10. The London Gazette, 9 February 1982
  11. The London Gazette, 20 July 1982
  12. The London Gazette, 30 December 1983
  13. "No. 51273". The London Gazette. 15 March 1988. p. 3125.
  14. The London Gazette, 26 July 1988
  15. "No. 52243". The London Gazette. 14 August 1990. p. 13271.
  16. "No. 56510". The London Gazette. 15 March 2002. p. 3289.
  17. "No. 58010". The London Gazette. 13 June 2006. p. 8073.
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Michael Palmer		 Defence Services Secretary
1985–1988		 Succeeded by
Sir David Allen
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