Peter Le Cheminant
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Peter de Lacy Le Cheminant GBE
KCB
DFC
& Bar
(born 17 June 1920) was Vice-Chief of Defence Staff.
and the RAF College, Cranwell
, Le Cheminant was commissioned into the Royal Air Force
in 1939. He served in World War II
and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
in 1943; he also served in Korea
and was awarded a bar to his DFC in 1951.
He became Commandant
of the Joint Warfare Establishment at Old Sarum
in 1968 and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) in 1972. He then became Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in 1974 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe in 1976.
He became Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey in 1980. He remains a keen Bisley
marksman.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Peter de Lacy Le Cheminant GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
KCB
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...
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(born 17 June 1920) was Vice-Chief of Defence Staff.
Military career
Educated at Elizabeth College, GuernseyElizabeth College, Guernsey
Elizabeth College is an independent school in the town of St Peter Port, Guernsey, founded in 1563 under the orders of Queen Elizabeth I.- History :...
and the RAF College, Cranwell
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College is the Royal Air Force training and education academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is responsible for all RAF recruiting along with...
, Le Cheminant was commissioned into the 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...
in 1939. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
in 1943; he also served in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and was awarded a bar to his DFC in 1951.
He became Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Joint Warfare Establishment at Old Sarum
Old Sarum
Old Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. The site contains evidence of human habitation as early as 3000 BC. Old Sarum is mentioned in some of the earliest records in the country...
in 1968 and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) in 1972. He then became Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in 1974 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Central Europe in 1976.
He became Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey in 1980. He remains a keen Bisley
Bisley, Surrey
Bisley is a large village in Surrey, England, which is notable for rifle shooting. Bisley's immediate neighbours are West End, Chobham and Knaphill.- History :...
marksman.
Further reading
- The Royal Air Force: A Personal Experience by Peter Le Cheminant, Ian Allan Publishing, 2001, ISBN 978-0711027862