Peter Harding
Encyclopedia
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Sir Peter Robin Harding, GCB
(born 2 December 1933) is a retired Royal Air Force
Chief of the Air Staff, and Chief of Defence Staff
.
in 1952. He served as Officer Commanding No. 18 Squadron
at RAF Gütersloh
and RAF Acklington
from 1966 to 1969 and then joined the Defence Policy Staff at the Ministry of Defence
in 1970. He went on to be Director of Air Staff Briefing in 1971 and then Station Commander at RAF Bruggen
in 1974. He was then made Director of Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence in 1976 and Assistant Chief of Staff (Plans and Policy) at SHAPE
in 1978. He became Air Officer Commanding No.11 Group
in 1981, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff
in 1982 and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1985. He was appointed Air Officer Commanding
Strike Command
later in 1985 before being made Chief of the Air Staff in 1988 and Chief of Defence Staff
in 1993.
and the News of the World
that he had an affair with Lady (Bienvenida) Buck, the wife of Conservative MP Anthony Buck.
Although Harding was a serving officer rather than a politician, the story was especially embarrassing as it coincided with a string of scandals (known, after John Major's slogan of October 1993, as "Back to Basics") associated with members of the Conservative government at that time.
Harding was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force in 1992 and since that time there have been no further promotions to the RAF's highest rank. Unlike other MRAFs who only relinquished their appointments, Harding resigned from the RAF in 1994. Consequently, he is no longer listed in the Air Force List.
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Sir Peter Robin Harding, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(born 2 December 1933) is a retired Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Chief of the Air Staff, and Chief of Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
.
RAF career
Educated at Chingford High School he joined the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1952. He served as Officer Commanding No. 18 Squadron
No. 18 Squadron RAF
No. 18 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the CH-47 Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham. No. 18 Squadron was the first and is currently the largest RAF operator of the Chinook.-First World War:...
at RAF Gütersloh
RAF Gütersloh
The former Royal Air Force Station Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airbase, the nearest Royal Air Force airbase to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was constructed by the Germans prior to World War II...
and RAF Acklington
RAF Acklington
The former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England....
from 1966 to 1969 and then joined the Defence Policy Staff at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1970. He went on to be Director of Air Staff Briefing in 1971 and then Station Commander at RAF Bruggen
RAF Bruggen
The former Royal Air Force Station Brüggen, more commonly known as RAF Brüggen, in Germany was a major station of the Royal Air Force until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately west of Düsseldorf near the German-Netherlands border. The base was named after...
in 1974. He was then made Director of Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence in 1976 and Assistant Chief of Staff (Plans and Policy) at SHAPE
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
in 1978. He became Air Officer Commanding No.11 Group
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
in 1981, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff
Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)
The British Vice-Chief of the Air Staff was the post occupied by the senior Royal Air Force officer who served as a senior assistant to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post was created during World War II on 22 April 1940 and its incumbement sat on the Air Council...
in 1982 and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1985. He was appointed Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
later in 1985 before being made Chief of the Air Staff in 1988 and Chief of Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
in 1993.
Resignation
Harding resigned after it was revealed by Max CliffordMax Clifford
Maxwell Frank Clifford is an English publicist, considered the highest-profile and best-known publicist in the United Kingdom...
and the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
that he had an affair with Lady (Bienvenida) Buck, the wife of Conservative MP Anthony Buck.
Although Harding was a serving officer rather than a politician, the story was especially embarrassing as it coincided with a string of scandals (known, after John Major's slogan of October 1993, as "Back to Basics") associated with members of the Conservative government at that time.
Harding was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force in 1992 and since that time there have been no further promotions to the RAF's highest rank. Unlike other MRAFs who only relinquished their appointments, Harding resigned from the RAF in 1994. Consequently, he is no longer listed in the Air Force List.