Peter Squire

Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Ted Squire, GCB, DFC, AFC, DL, FRAeS (7 October 1945 – 19 February 2018) was a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was a fast jet pilot in the 1970s, a squadron commander during the Falklands War, and a senior air commander in the 1990s. Squire served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2000 to 2003. In retirement he was the chairman of the board of trustees of the Imperial War Museum and vice-chairman of the board of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Peter Squire was born at Felixstowe, Suffolk, on 7 October 1945, the son of Wing Commander Frank Squire, D.S.O., D.F.C., who was the son of a Devon farmer, and Margaret Pascoe Squire (née Trump). He received his schooling at the independent King's School, Bruton in Somerset, the fees of which were paid for by the British Government as he was the son of a serving military commissioned officer.^[1]

In 1961, at the age of sixteen Squire was awarded a scholarship to academically study at RAF College Cranwell, which he entered in 1963.^[2] He received a commission into the Royal Air Force with the rank of Pilot Officer on 15 July 1966.^[3] He was promoted to flying officer on 15 January 1967,^[4] and sent to No. 20 Squadron based in Singapore to fly Hunters in 1968.^[1] He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 15 January 1969,^[5] and joined No. 4 Flying Training School in Anglesey in 1970.^[1]

In 1973 he commanded the R.A.F.'s display squadron "The Red Arrows", and was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in the 1973 Birthday Honours,^[6] and having been promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1973,^[7] flew Harriers with No. 3 Squadron in West Germany from 1975.^[1] He was awarded the Air Force Cross in the 1979 Birthday Honours.^[8] Promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1980,^[9]

Squire was appointed commanding officer of No. 1 (F) Squadron at RAF Wittering in 1981, flying Harrier GR.3 aircraft.^[1] In 1982, he led the squadron during the Falklands War.^[10] On 13 April 1982, the squadron deployed to CFB Goose Bay in Canada for an exercise, completing a six-hour flight using air-to-air refuelling.^[11]

The squadron departed from RAF St Mawgan for RAF Ascension Island on 3 May 1982, where it later embarked on the merchant vessel SS Atlantic Conveyor.^[12] After arrival in the South Atlantic Ocean, the aircraft were transferred to HMS Hermes, a few days before the Atlantic Conveyor was struck by two Exocet missiles and sunk.^[12]

No. 1 (F) Squadron became the first Royal Air Force unit to operate in a combat role from a British aircraft carrier since the Second World War and were assigned to the ground-attack role during the conflict.^[13]

Squire flew 24 sorties against Argentine positions in support of operations and during one mission, a 7.62 mm round fired from the ground penetrated the cockpit of his Harrier.^[12]

• On 8 June 1982, He experienced an engine failure in XZ989 while attempting an emergency landing at the San Carlos forward operating base, after sustaining battle damage around Two Sisters, walking away uninjured^[14]
• On 13 June 1982, he became the first R.A.F. pilot to drop a laser-guided bomb in combat, during the Battle of Mount Tumbledown^[15] and was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross^[16]

Four of No. 1 (F) Squadron’s ten Harriers were lost during the campaign, three to enemy ground fire, and one (piloted by Squire) due to engine failure.^[17]

After the war, while still stationed in the Falklands, Squire experienced another engine failure on 6 November 1982 during a routine patrol in Harrier GR.3, serial XW767.^[22] He was forced to eject at low altitude near Cape Pembroke and was rescued uninjured from the sea by a Royal Navy helicopter.^[13] Upon returning to the United Kingdom, he was appointed leader of the R.A.F.'s Command Briefing and Presentation Team, and later served as Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding RAF Strike Command in 1984.^[1] He was promoted to group captain on 1 July 1985,^[23] and the following year became Station Commander at RAF Cottesmore.^[1]

He was appointed to the post of Director Air Offensive at the Ministry of Defence in 1989.^[1] Following his promotion to air commodore on 1 January 1990,^[24] he became senior air staff officer at H.Q. 'Strike Command' and Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (United Kingdom) Air Forces in 1991^[1] and received further promotion to air vice-marshal on 1 July 1991.^[25] He was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in February 1993, however, after only a few months he was replaced by Air Vice Marshal John Day.^[26] He served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from 1994 and, having been promoted to air marshal on 9 February 1996,^[27] became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Programmes and Personnel) in 1996.^[1]

He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1997 Birthday Honours.^[28] Appointed Air Aide-de-Camp to The Queen on 29 March 1999,^[29] he was promoted to air chief marshal, and became Commander-in-Chief RAF Strike Command, and Commander Allied Air Forces Northwestern Europe on 30 March 1999.^[30]

In 2000 he became Chief of the Air Staff,^[1] and was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 2001 New Year Honours.^[31] As Chief of the Air Staff he advised the British Government on the British air contribution to Operation Veritas in Afghanistan in 2001,^[32] and then to Operation Telic in Iraq.^[33] He retired on 5 December 2003.^[34]

In retirement Squire joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.^[35] He was chairman of the board of trustees of the Imperial War Museum from 2003 to 2011,^[1] and vice-chairman of the board of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 2005 to 2008.^[1] He was also a governor at King's School, Bruton,^[1] and the deputy lieutenant of Devon.^[36] In 2004 he privately issued a narrative of the combat operations by No.1 (F) Squadron in the Falklands in 1982, entitled 'The Harrier Goes to War'.^[37] In 2005 he recorded an extended interview detailing his military career with the Imperial War Museum's Sound Archive.^[38]

He died of heart failure at the age of 72 on 19 February 2018 at his home, "Lower Park", at Gidleigh in Devon.^[39] A funeral service was held at Holy Trinity Church, Gidleigh in early March 2018.^[40] A memorial service was held for him at St Clement Danes Church in London on 1 June 2018,^[41] the Queen being represented by Lord Craig of Radley.^[42]

In 1970 he married Carolyn Joynson, the marriage producing three sons.^[1] His main personal interest was golf.^[1]

Coat of arms of Peter Squire

Notes Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath since 2001 Crest A four-winged bird Gules, armed, beaked, and langued Or. Torse Argent and Azure torse. Escutcheon Gyronny Azure and Murrey a Mullet of eight points gyronny Or and Argent voided fracted at the inner angles and the arms of each piece pointed the whole enclosing a Sun in Splendour Or a Bordure engrailed gobony of eight also Or and Argent. Supporters On either side a bull rampant regardant Gules armed, unguled and gorged Or with an astral crown of the last. Motto EXAMPLE THROUGH ENDEAVOUR[43] Orders Collar as grand cross Knight and the Order of the Bath circlet.[44]

• The air combat in the Falklands War