Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter de Lacy Le Cheminant, GBE, KCB, DFC & Bar (17 June 1920 – 8 April 2018) was a senior commander of the Royal Air Force (RAF), who served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from 1974 to 1976 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe from 1976 until his retirement in 1979.
Sir Peter Le Cheminant | |
|---|---|
 Wing Commander Le Cheminant briefs aircrews for a bombing raid on La Fauconnerie South, Tunisia (scene reconstructed after the event). | |
| Born | 17 June 1920 |
| Died | 8 April 2018 (aged 97) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1939–1979 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Commands | Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (1974–76) Joint Warfare Establishment (1968–71) RAF Geilenkirchen (1961–63) No. 223 Squadron (1949–51) No. 223 Squadron (1943–44) |
| Battles / wars | Second World War Korean War Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar |
Military career
editEducated at Elizabeth College (Guernsey) and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Le Cheminant was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a pilot officer (on probation) on 23 December 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War.[1] He was confirmed in his rank and promoted to flying officer (war-substantive) on 23 December 1940.[2] He was promoted to flight lieutenant (war-substantive) on 23 December 1941 and to the substantive rank of flight lieutenant on 23 June 1943.[3][4] An acting squadron leader by 1943, he was promoted to squadron leader (war-substantive) on 4 August 1943.[5]
Also in 1943, Le Cheminant was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).[6] He was promoted to the permanent rank of squadron leader on 1 August 1947.[7] He also served in the Korean War and was awarded a Bar to his DFC in 1951.[8] He was promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1951 and to group captain on 1 July 1958.[9][10]
Promoted to air commodore on 1 January 1964, Le Cheminant was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer, Far East Air Force on 16 May 1966 with the acting rank of air vice marshal.[11][12] He was promoted to the permanent rank of air vice marshal on 1 January 1967,[13] and became Commandant of the Joint Warfare Establishment at Old Sarum on 20 November and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) on 1 May 1971.[14][15] Promoted air marshal on 4 July 1972,[16] he then became Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in 1974.[8] He was promoted to air chief marshal on 2 February 1976 and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe on 5 February.[17][18] He relinquished the command on 1 June 1979 and retired from the RAF on 27 August.[19][20]
Le Cheminant was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1968 Birthday Honours,[21] and knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1972 Birthday Honours.[22] He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in the 1978 Birthday Honours.[23]
Later career
editLe Cheminant served as Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey from 1980 to 1985.[8] He was the only native Guernseyman to have held that post.[24] After his retirement he remained a keen Bisley marksman.[25] Le Cheminant died on 8 April 2018.[24]
References
edit- ^ "No. 34776". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 January 1940. p. 377.
- ^ "No. 35065". The London Gazette. 4 February 1941. p. 692.
- ^ "No. 35467". The London Gazette. 24 February 1942. p. 908.
- ^ "No. 37571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 May 1946. p. 2396.
- ^ "No. 36330". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 January 1944. p. 311.
- ^ "No. 36108". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 July 1943. p. 3383.
- ^ "No. 38035". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 August 1947. p. 3663.
- ^ a b c Debretts People of Today 1994
- ^ "No. 39271". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 1951. p. 3544.
- ^ "No. 41433". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 July 1958. p. 4142.
- ^ "No. 43210". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 January 1964. p. 77.
- ^ "No. 43999". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1966. p. 6351.
- ^ "No. 44218". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 January 1967. p. 79.
- ^ "No. 44718". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 November 1968. p. 12406.
- ^ "No. 45359". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 May 1971. p. 4534.
- ^ "No. 45718". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1972. p. 7981.
- ^ "No. 46814". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 February 1976. p. 1676.
- ^ "No. 46819". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 February 1976. p. 2057.
- ^ "No. 47864". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1979. p. 7401.
- ^ "No. 47972". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 October 1979. p. 12648.
- ^ "No. 44600". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1968. p. 6301.
- ^ "No. 45678". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1972. p. 6257.
- ^ "No. 47549". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1978. p. 6235.
- ^ a b Bailiwick Express (4 August 1943). "Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Le Cheminant has died | Bailiwick Express". Gsy.bailiwickexpress.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ "Top Marks". Thisisguernsey.com. 19 July 2005. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
Further reading
edit
- The Royal Air Force: A Personal Experience by Peter Le Cheminant, Ian Allan Publishing, 2001, ISBN 978-0-7110-2786-2