Sir Peter Squire

[Wholigan]

Just discovered that Sir Peter died suddenly at home on 19 February.

He was a real gentleman and I have many fond memories of him.

A family funeral will be held in Gidleigh, to be followed by a memorial service in London at a later date.

[roving]

Because the original MoD link to Sir Peter's Falkland War diaries has been moved, I have posted the current link.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/history/TheHarrierGoestoWar.cfm

[thing]

Sad, only 72. He was a real old school gentleman and a top officer, as he indeed proved in his later career. Famous for his 'interesting sideburns'! Was a flight commander on 3 when I was there, his beat up of the airfield when he left was something to behold. RIP Sir, I shall raise a glass to you tonight.

[Cows getting bigger]

I had the honour of walking him across an apron one day whilst John Day was left straggling behind with the two wives. :) I remember an engaging gentleman who put a young CGB at ease.

[just another jocky]

He was my Station Commander at Cottesmore when I went through TTTE as a stude.


A real gentleman.


A very sad loss at such a young age.

[Mogwi]

I was privileged to serve with Peter at Gütersloh, as well as being his next-door neighbour. I later went to war in the same canoe as him in 1982 and watched as he was very poorly treated by the Captain. He was a gentle but inspirational leader, who we all thought was far too nice to get into the higher echelons of the Service - how wrong we were!

My thoughts and best wishes to the family. Rest well Sir!

Mog

[strake]

Thank you for posting the diaries, roving. An immensely interesting read...

A sad passing. RIP.

[retreating blade]

Back in ‘82, I was tasked with my crew to undersling Peter’s Harrier from the weeds at the edge of the pad in San Carlos to Stanley. Simple enough except that the Harrier wanted to fly once we achieved 30kts. Luckily, we had a tail wind but it still took forever to reach Stanley.
So sorry to read such sad news.

[Barksdale Boy]

I really enjoyed laying hockey with him in the station team at Strad in 1966.

[Lima Juliet]

Taken too soon. RIP Sir Peter :(

[MPN11]

Oh dear, how very sad. I worked with him in the late 60s, and for him in the early 90s. As others have said, a real gentleman. RIP, Sir.

[Lou Scannon]

This is the IWM recording where Sir Peter talks, very candidly, about his life and career including tips on how to dodge ADC jobs without causing offence!
(I was on the CFS course with him back in 1970).


https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80025717

[Fortissimo]

A real gentleman, always with an encouraging word and a smile whatever the circumstances, and a leader you could trust. He had a wicked sense of humour too. It's a great shame he did not get to enjoy the long retirement he deserved.

If you haven't read (or re-read) his Harrier Falklands war diaries, it is well worth taking the time to do so.

[Alber Ratman]

Had the privillage to talk to him for several minutes at Coltishall in 99. A great leader and a total gentleman. RIP Sir Peter.

[teeteringhead]

A real surprise and shock - what a great bloke. Knew him in a number of places, from a Sqn Ldr at Gut in late 70s, through AOC, ACAS, C-in-C to being CAS.

72 is no age these days .......

RIP Sir.

[Dick Allen]

Many tales to tell.

One of my favourite occasions, three dits from the same visit: he was CAS when I was running Shawbury, and he had flown up for a Dinner.

On arrival, before changing, we were sitting having coffee when our most disrespectful cat - Bobby - took a liking to Sir Peter and leapt upon his lap and started nuzzling him. Not only most disrespectful, but most prone to moulting..... Cat eventually departs, CAS stands stands up, wooly pully now decorated with vast amounts of grey fur. Nice

Fast forward an hour or so, we're both in No 5s waiting for transport. One of junior daughter's chums (a striking 20-something redhead) was visiting - unexpectedly - and breezes in to the room. "Hi Dick" she says - Sir Peter leaps to his feet to introduce himself, shakes hand "Peter Squire" "Oh Hi Peter" says redhead, then completely ignores him and carries on talking to me. Probably not career-enhancing pour moi..........

And finally. The following morning he was due to fly out and it was Harry Clampers in fog. Never seen a delayed VSO so calm. Much panic organising car and driver to take him back to London, he calmly says "Time for another cuppa then" or words to that effect. Not like many other VSOs one could mention.....

Much missed - a superb aviator and a good fellow too.

RIP

[trevor hope]

Sir Peter bought us flight line lads(V.T. Aerospace) a round at the Off Mess St Mawgan on summer camp,also fondly remembered at Colerne,good days.
A real gentleman - R.i.P

[MadsDad]

Met him once, for a very brief conversation, when as CAS he did the mass wings presentation at Valley (when the wings presentation changed from post-Hawk to post-Tucano).

Then I was surprised when I mentioned him doing the presentation to a mate at work who said he had played rugby with him on 20 squadron in Singapore. Sir Peter was apparently a very nice bloke (although they didn't mix socially other than rugby, mate being a Sergeant and Sir Peter a Flt. Lt. at the time).

[NutLoose]

His Harrier is still part of RAF Cosford and is still marked up with his name.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4578/26648565889_af413e5b4f_c.jpg

[jindabyne]

A student of mine on 234 Sqn; then we were fellow Flt Cdrs on 3 Sqn, RAF Valley.

How very sad. A gentleman in every way, a fine officer, a gifted operator, and a valued friend.

RIP Peter, long will you be remembered.

[EESDL]

I had the honour of receiving a one-sided interview from ‘Norman’ in mid-90s.
One of the very few VSOs who actually gave a sh1t.
Once formal stuff over with, escort dismissed, hat off, sat down - still no tea and biscuits - but he showed a genuine concern for my family’s well-being after a rather rough period of treatment by those less capable. Completely unbeknown to me he had ensured that my next posting was near to an excellent medical facility (for my recovering child) and my next chosen flying tour would be confirmed - I left never doubting him and a new-found belief that there were some good guys guiding ‘my’ RAF.
5-years later he walked straight up to me in the Mess during a BofB visit and asked how my son was.
IMHO - One of the great Leaders

[mike rondot]

Wholigan, that is very sad news but thank you for letting us know.

He was my absolute number one favourite senior officer. I had met him a few times over the years as our paths crossed. Like many others who had the privilege of working for him, even at a distance, I did not know that he was my true friend. However, I soon realised it after he spotted me taking the minutes at a meeting in the bunker at RAF HQSTC in 1991. He made it his business to find out why I had been sent there from 6 Squadron after Desert Storm and, appalled, later that day he sent me packing back to Coltishall where I spent my final very happy year in the RAF flying Jaguars with 41 Squadron. I have never forgotten his kindness.

[Alber Ratman]

I had the honour of receiving a one-sided interview from ‘Norman’ in mid-90s.
One of the very few VSOs who actually gave a sh1t.
Once formal stuff over with, escort dismissed, hat off, sat down - still no tea and biscuits - but he showed a genuine concern for my family’s well-being after a rather rough period of treatment by those less capable. Completely unbeknown to me he had ensured that my next posting was near to an excellent medical facility (for my recovering child) and my next chosen flying tour would be confirmed - I left never doubting him and a new-found belief that there were some good guys guiding ‘my’ RAF.
5-years later he walked straight up to me in the Mess during a BofB visit and asked how my son was.
IMHO - One of the great Leaders

Glad someone closer to him mentioned "Norman" first. When AOC 1 Gp, he visited Coltishall and as the man that he was, gave a soap box speech to all ranks in one of the hangars. Stepping onto the box, some smart arse shouted out! "Bloody Hell, its Norman Wisdom!" The chuckles were rather loud!

[scarecrow450]

Was my CO at TTTE as well, one morning I was on bird scaring duties when I saw him about to drive past me so quickly I stood to attention and presented arms, well my bird scaring pistol, as he drove past a big smile and he returned the salute, lesser men would have had me in front of the SWO, not Sir Peter or Norman ! Lovely man def taken too early.

[November4]

His Harrier is still part of RAF Cosford and is still marked up with his name.


And a Harrier at Donnington

http://i68.tinypic.com/28v3j8n.jpg

[Edmund Spencer]

A terrific Boss of the 1 Sqn detachment in HMS Hermes during the Falklands in 1982.

[Wander00]

Knew him as a cadet on 89A, a course behind me. They were an outstanding Squadron/Entry, producing I think 5 or 6 VSOs. Peter was outstanding amongst them. I still have a photo of him with me in the play Ring Round the Moon, at Lincoln Training College in about 1965. Outstanding man.

[MrBernoulli]

The Telegraph (25 February) obituary here (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2018/02/25/sir-peter-squire-chief-air-staff-obituary/).

I have a recollection of Sir Peter turning up for a brief visit at a JOC Course at RAF Henlow, in the early nineties, and giving (what seemed like) an off the cuff presentation, liberally littered with some very colourful and amusing anecdotes and jokes. Most unexpected from a senior officer, but very welcome!

[teeteringhead]

A terrific Boss of the 1 Sqn detachment in HMS Hermes during the Falklands in 1982. And compared to more recent awards (which I admit is dangerous ground to tread), I always thought his Falklands DFC should have been a DSO.......

[roving]

The ciitation for the DFC mentioned his outstanding leadership.

[NutLoose]

https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/acm-sir-peter-squire.273066/

Comes to something when out of five ribbons, three are gallantry/good egg awards and one of the other two (campaign) ribbons has an MID on it.



http://www.legacy.com/guestbooks/thetimes-uk/peter-squire-condolences/188262568?cid=full

I am so sorry to hear that such an honourable and true gentleman has been taken so suddenly and my condolences to Carolyn and the family. He was without doubt the best Squadron Boss I worked under in my 39years service and I will never forget his kindness, especially after a successful ejection over Stanley airfield where he refused to be taken to hospital, instead treated all the 1(F) Ground-crew to a beer.
Ex WO Engineering 1(F). George Fuller

[Union Jack]

Some very interesting observations in the generous obituary in today's Times.

Jack

[Lyneham Lad]

The obituary in The Times (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/obituary-air-chief-marshal-sir-peter-squire-3xgqc7xfm?shareToken=803d3860700a94b39c9594fcda3e5975)(as mentioned above)

RIP.

[roving]

It is singularly impressive that the Times Obituary writer took the trouble to not only read the Falkland War Diaries but listen to the extensive IVM audio files entitled "Squire, Peter (Oral History)", which were flagged-up on this thread along with the behaviour of the Hermes Captain when playing host to the Royal Air Force Squadron.

It is was also good of the Times to name and pay tribute to all the other members of the Squadron flying from the Hermes on operational sorties over the Falkland Islands.

[langleybaston]

That is a marvellous tribute to what I believe to be a great man. It is my loss that I cannot recall meeting him or briefing him, but we served at the same stations at the right times.

[jindabyne]

Should anyone on here have Caroline's address, would they be prepared to PM me. Thanks. MG

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

David TallboysMarch 3 2018, 12:01am,

Courageous pilot who led the Red Arrows and won a DFC in the Falklands


The rising whine of the Harrier’s Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine outdid the howling gales on the carrier’s deck, and then Wing Commander Peter Squire took off. It was June 10, 1982, and he was about to fly out over 200 miles of storm-tossed sea for his targets near the Falkland islands capital, Port Stanley.

He had already braved the Argentine defenders’ anti-aircraft fire once that day, hurtling in at 300ft a few hours before, and had returned with vital “recce” photographs. On this, his second mission of the day from the Task Force flagship HMS Hermes, he was heading at 500mph, in his green and grey RAF GR3 ground- attack aircraft, towards what he now knew were the most heavily defended enemy positions on the islands.

As the light faded — it was after 7pm — he and his wingman picked out the targets photographed earlier and screeched in at low level to pound them with cluster bombs. A series of explosions followed from Squire’s weapons, then the Harriers roared away again, both aircraft having taken minor hits, to be patched up by their ground crews.

It was a measure of his mettle that only two days earlier Squire had been forced to make a crash-landing at San Carlos because of engine failure. “As a result of the rate of descent and the fact that I am pointing directly at a Rapier FU [missile fire unit] I elect not to eject and the aircraft hits the ground very hard,” he recorded. The aircraft was a write-off, but he walked away with just a bump on his forehead.

A brilliant fighter pilot, Squire was a former leader of the Red Arrows aerobatic team and would go on to become Chief of the Air Staff. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valour and leadership as officer commanding RAF No 1 (F) Squadron in the Falklands. The citation mentioned his “great courage” and “steadiness under enemy fire”. He was lucky it was not awarded posthumously because, on the day after his attack on Port Stanley, an Argentine bullet tore through his cockpit, narrowly missing his head, as he bombed Mount Tumbledown.

The dark-haired, trim 36-year-old, who had a wife and three young sons aged between 2 and 10, had the task not only of giving close air support to Britain’s land forces, but also of minimising tensions between the Royal Navy and the RAF. It was a challenge for which Squire was well suited. “You would not find anyone saying anything bad about Peter Squire,” a friend recalled. “He was hugely respected, the most honourable man I knew.”

Finding himself, counter to his expectations, operating under Royal Navy air command, Squire did as much flying as his men, personally completing 24 attack sorties between his arrival on May 18 and the Argentine surrender on June 14.

The RAF pilots looked enviously at the navy’s Sea Harriers, which were better equipped and, designed as interceptors, flew much higher and less close to the enemy. The RAF GR3s lacked radar and their radio systems often failed. In the final battles of the conflict they had to defy an Argentine Blowpipe guided missile operator on Mount Longdon. “We note a significant increase in groundfire, including small arms, AAA [anti-aircraft artillery] and SAM [surface-to-air missile],” Squire recorded on June 11 in the diary he kept during hostilities. “The next few days could be full of excitement.”

They certainly were. On June 12, racing close by Mount Harriet and Mount William, Squire damaged a 155mm Argentine gun position with cluster bombs on Sapper Hill, southwest of Stanley. The next day he attacked an enemy company headquarters at Stanley. The raid involved the first operational use of hitherto untried and unpractised laser guidance technology. He scored a direct hit with the second bomb he launched.

It had been touch and go whether this could even be attempted. From Squire’s arrival in the South Atlantic in mid-May with his original tiny contingent of 8 pilots, 6 aircraft and 19 ground crew, the odds had seemed against the RAF Harriers getting up-to-date equipment in place. Squire had to contend with the opposition of the Hermes captain, Linley Middleton, to his receiving lengthy signals from Britain on how to use the technology.

The matter was urgent because Squire and his men, uncomfortably quartered in Hermes and flying by old-fashioned map-and-stopwatch navigation methods from her deck, were taking huge risks daily. Laser guidance would allow them to drop their bombs farther back from the target. In the event they operated without it until Squire’s raid on June 13. They lost four aircraft: three shot down and one damaged beyond repair.

Squire used all his habitual measured calmness to persuade the navy to let him have four replacement RAF Harriers flown directly to the Falklands from Ascension, using air-to-air refuelling. Middleton, a former naval aviator, whom the mild-mannered Squire considered “a bully”, had opposed this too, calling it “a publicity stunt by the RAF”. The original RAF Harriers had cross-decked to Hermes on May 18 after being brought south in the container ship Atlantic Conveyor.

Those flying with Squire were squadron leaders Bob Iveson, Peter Harris and Jeffrey Pook; and flight lieutenants Mike Beech, Ross Boyens, Nick Gilchrist, Jeff Glover, Mark Hare, Tony Harper, Murdo MacLeod and John Rochfort. Iveson, Pook and Glover were shot down. All survived. Glover was the only British prisoner taken to the Argentine mainland.

Peter Ted Squire was born in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in 1945, the son of Wing Commander Frank Squire, DSO, DFC, and his wife, Margaret. As a flight lieutenant piloting a Catalina flying boat of No 210 Squadron in the North Atlantic on July 9, 1943, Frank Squire had damaged the German submarine U-465.

Peter wanted to be an aviator from the age of eight, but feared treatment for a “lazy eye” might frustrate his ambition. He considered himself to have acquired attributes such as leadership at King’s School in Bruton, Somerset, where he played in the 1st XI at cricket and the 1st XV at rugby. He joined RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire, as a teenage apprentice and won a scholarship to RAF Cranwell; he was commissioned as an officer in 1966.

While at Cranwell he met Carolyn Joynson, a trainee teacher, at a social event in 1964. Their closeness survived his posting to Singapore in 1968 to fly Hawker Hunters with No 20 Squadron and they married in 1970, when he was allowed to take married quarters at the age of 25. The couple would have three sons: Christopher, Richard and Edward. His wife and sons survive him.

Having won an aerobatic competition at the Central Flying School, Squire was posted to RAF Valley on Anglesey as an instructor and Hunter international “display pilot”.

Now a squadron leader, he was chosen to lead the Red Arrows in 1973 and that year gained the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. He had earlier resisted joining the Arrows, preferring operational duties.

His stubbornness did not, despite his fears, hold back his career. After a posting in 1975 to Wildenrath, West Germany, as a flight commander with 3(F) Squadron on Harriers — and a happy interlude “snorkelling and eating lobsters” while sent for a spell to Belize — he joined RAF Strike Command’s HQ tactical evaluation team in 1978 and three years later was given command of No1 (F) Squadron based at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire. He was promoted to group captain in 1985 and went on to be station commander of the Tornado training establishment at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland, until 1988. He then went to Air Plans in Whitehall.

Further MoD jobs followed. He was promoted to air marshal in 1996 and knighted a year later. His period as Chief of the Air Staff from April 2000 until August 2003 included the setting up of Operation Veritas against the Taliban in Afghanistan after 9/11, and the still larger Operation Telic, the invasion of Iraq, in his final year.

Remembered by colleagues as a “gentle but inspirational leader”, Squire continued flying into retirement, serving as a staff pilot with a trust near Bath to give air cadets experience of flying. Whether the rookies were aware of the past of this distinguished man showing them the ropes is not known.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire, GCB, DFC, AFC, fighter pilot, was born on October 7, 1945. He died suddenly on February 19, 2018, aged 72

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Obviously quite a chap.

The obit mentions John Rochfort who was a Flt Lft on GR3 aboard Hermes. I believe I used to fly with John on B737s in the early 2000’s. It’s a distinct name and memory suggests he had some Harrier tales. I’ve lost touch - anyone know his whereabouts? He had a second home near Malaga as I recall.

(Image or wrong person deleted)


WWW

[Martin the Martian]

Some very interesting observations in the generous obituary in today's Times.

Jack

Sadly the Dartmouth graduate RAF-basher who inhabits the Times comments sections used it as another opportunity to do what he does best. Prat.

[ICM]

WWW: I've no wish to divert this thread fro the late Sir Peter, but John Rochfort and I became quite good friends through basic training at South Cerney. He went off to pilot training and, I think, initially to Lightnings, whilst I went to Nav school. Our paths never crossed in 30+ years after that, but I venture to say that's not John in that photo. The chap is in some distress and, having also gone down the Google route, I'd say he's Flt Lt Jeff Glover after being shot down by a Blowpipe missile. That looks like an inverted single-seat liferaft lying behind him in that boat.

[OKOC]

Just discovered that Sir Peter died suddenly at home on 19 February.

He was a real gentleman and I have many fond memories of him.

A family funeral will be held in Gidleigh, to be followed by a memorial service in London at a later date.

I was Flt Lt Cont Plans at Wittering in 1982 and OC Ops and Sqn Ldr Ops were both away. My phone rang at home at 1800 -- it was Gp Capt Alan Bridges (Stn Cdr) "Come in immediately please Peter we have just had the arrival of (those dreaded words) THE TACEVAL TEAM"! You will have to be OC Ops until he can get back here. 1 (F) Sqn got their required number of jets armed up and ready to go but the OCU were struggling for Armourers. Time was ticking by and the Staish told me to phone Pete Squire and that he must transfer some of his Armourers immediately so that the OCU would also get a 1 Grade for Readiness.
With trepidation I phoned OC 1(F) Sqn Sir Peter and told him what he must do (It was his first week in post by the way) and he replied "You're the Boss--I will send them over immediately!" I have never forgotton that evening, the Station passed its Taceval with flying colours and afterwards Alan Bridges, Pete Squire and Peter Miller invited me personally and we retired to the O Mess bar for a celebratory half. What a night and what a true gentleman Sir Peter was.
I last saw him a few years ago at Colerne wearing Flt Lt rank and he reminded of me of the night in 1982 "The first and only time in my career apart from here at Colerne, that a Flt Lt has told me what to do". A lovely man whose death has shocked me.
If anyone knows when his memorial service is could you post it here please?