Richard Peirse

This article is about the World War II Air Chief Marshal. For his son, who reached the rank of Air Vice-Marshal, see Richard Peirse (RAF officer). For his father, see Richard Peirse (Royal Navy officer)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Edmund Charles Peirse KCB DSO AFC (30 September 1892 - 5 August 1970), was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

RAF career

Born the son of Admiral Sir Richard Peirse and educated at Monkton Combe School and at King's College London, Peirse became a Midshipman in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and was commissioned in 1912.^[1] He was awarded the DSO for his contribution to the aerial attack on Dunkirk on 23 January 1915.^[1] He served as a pilot with the Royal Naval Air Service until 1 April 1918 when it became part of the Royal Air Force.^[1] With the formation of the RAF, Peirse became Officer Commanding No. 222 Squadron.^[1] In 1923 he became Station Commander at RAF Gosport and in 1929 he was made Station Commander at RAF Heliopolis.^[1] He went on to be Deputy Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Air Ministry in 1930 and, having been promoted to Air Commodore in 1933, was appointed Air Officer Commanding Palestine Transjordan Command.^[1] Promoted again, this time to Air Vice-Marshal in 1936, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Director of Operations and Intelligence in January 1937.^[1]

He served in World War II as Vice-Chief of the Air Staff from April 1940 and as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command from October 1940.^[1] He presided over a large expanion in the bomber force but was removed in January 1942 by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Charles Portal, when he became increasingly concerned about the mounting losses.^[2] In March 1943 Peirse was appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF India and in November 1943 he was made Commander in Chief, Allied Air Command South-East Asia.^[1] However his career came to an abrupt halt in 1946, when he eloped with the wife of Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck.^[1]

Awards and decorations

• Distinguished Service Order - 10 April 1915^[3]
• Air Force Cross^[3] - 1 January 1919.
• Croce di Guerra by the King of Italy for services rendered in the Mediterranean area - 1 April 1919
• Companion of the Order of the Bath - 6 November 1936^[3]
• Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath - 11 July 1940^[3]
• Order of Polonia Restituta, 2nd Class^[3] (Poland) - 29 May 1942
• Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau^[3] (Netherlands) - 12 Jan 1943.
• Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA)^[3] - 15 March 1946
• Cloud and Banner Decoration (Third Grade) (China)^[3] - 29 July 1947
• Mentioned in Despatches (3) - 17 February 1915, 3 June 1918 and 3 December 1942.

References