Peter White (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Peter White GBE
(25 January 1919 – 22 May 2010) was a Royal Navy
officer who ended his career as Chief of Fleet Support
.
, White joined the Royal Navy
as a cadet
in 1937 and was then deployed to the China Station
. He served in World War II
seeing action off Norway
and at the Dunkirk evacuation. He was mentioned in despatches for his role in maintaining the operations plot during the Battle of North Cape
in 1943 and became the link person between the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet and the signals intelligence centre at Bletchley Park
. Later in the War he served in the Far East and was present at the Japan
ese surrender ceremony in September 1945.
After the War he served as Secretary to Admiral Sir Michael Denny
and in 1967 he became Principal staff officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff
. Promoted to Rear Admiral, he was appointed Director-General of Fleet Services in 1969 and Port Admiral at Rosyth
in 1972 and, following his promotion to Vice Admiral, he went on to be Chief of Fleet Support
in 1974. He was promoted to full Admiral in 1976 and retired in 1977.
In retirement he became an Associate Director at the Industrial Society
.
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...
(25 January 1919 – 22 May 2010) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who ended his career as Chief of Fleet Support
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
.
Naval career
Educated at Dover CollegeDover College
Dover College is a co-educational independent school in Dover in southeast England. It was founded in 1871, and takes both day pupils and boarders....
, White joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
in 1937 and was then deployed to the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
. 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...
seeing action off Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and at the Dunkirk evacuation. He was mentioned in despatches for his role in maintaining the operations plot during the Battle of North Cape
Battle of North Cape
The Battle of the North Cape was a Second World War naval battle which occurred on 26 December 1943, as part of the Arctic Campaign. The German battlecruiser , on an operation to attack Arctic Convoys of war materiel from the Western Allies to the USSR, was brought to battle and sunk by superior...
in 1943 and became the link person between the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet and the signals intelligence centre at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
. Later in the War he served in the Far East and was present at the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese surrender ceremony in September 1945.
After the War he served as Secretary to Admiral Sir Michael Denny
Michael Denny
Admiral Sir Michael Maynard Denny GCB CBE DSO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Third Sea Lord.-Naval career:...
and in 1967 he became Principal staff officer to the Chief of the 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...
. Promoted to Rear Admiral, he was appointed Director-General of Fleet Services in 1969 and Port Admiral at Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
in 1972 and, following his promotion to Vice Admiral, he went on to be Chief of Fleet Support
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
in 1974. He was promoted to full Admiral in 1976 and retired in 1977.
In retirement he became an Associate Director at the Industrial Society
Industrial society
In sociology, industrial society refers to a society driven by the use of technology to enable mass production, supporting a large population with a high capacity for division of labour. Such a structure developed in the west in the period of time following the Industrial Revolution, and replaced...
.