| Peter Ratcliffe | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Billy |
| Born | Salford, Greater Manchester, England |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Special Air Service, Parachute Regiment |
| Battles/wars | The Troubles Dhofar Rebellion Falklands War Gulf War |
| Awards | Distinguished Conduct Medal Mentioned in Despatches |
| Other work | Author |
Major Peter Ratcliffe DCM is an author and former member of the Special Air Service (SAS).
Peter Ratcliffe came originally from Salford, Greater Manchester. As a boy, he joined the 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (1 PARA) before and eventually going on to pass the SAS selection course. Upon joining the regiment, he was posted to 18 (Mobility) Troop D Squadron.
During his time in the SAS he was to deploy into a number of theatre and operations including the Dhofar Rebellion in Oman, the Falklands War and Operation Granby in the Gulf. During the 1991 Gulf War, Ratcliffe was the Regimental Sergeant Major and deployed in Iraq to relieve the Officer Commanding A Squadron (one of the few times where an enlisted man has formally relieved a commissioned officer). He subsequently led the squadron on a raid on a communication site known as "Victor Two" for which he was awarded the DCM.
After the conflict Ratcliffe was himself commissioned as an officer.
Ratcliffe appeared in books by Andy McNab, Chris Ryan, Peter 'Yorkie' Crossland[1] and Cameron Spence.[2]