Air Vice Marshal Sir Richard Charles Fairfax Peirse, (16 March 1931 – 8 February 2014) was a senior

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

officer who served as Defence Services Secretary from 1985 to 1988.

Early life

Peirse was born on 16 March 1931, the son of Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Peirse. He was educated at

Bradfield College Bradfield College, formally St Andrew's College, Bradfield, is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils aged 11–18, located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is note ...

Military career

He attended the

Royal Air Force College Cranwell The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force military academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and ...

.'' Who's Who 2010'', A & C Black, 2010, Commissioned a pilot officer in the RAF on 9 April 1952, he was promoted to flying officer on 9 April 1953 and to flight lieutenant on 9 October 1954. He was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1959 and to wing commander on 1 July 1965. Peirse became Commanding Officer of No. 51 Squadron in 1968. Promoted to group captain on 1 July 1969, he became Deputy Captain of the

Queen's Flight Air transport of the British royal family and government is provided, depending on the circumstances and availability, by a variety of military and civilian operators. This includes an Airbus Voyager of the Royal Air Force, No. 10 Squadron an ...

that year. He was Station Commander at

RAF Waddington Royal Air Force Waddington otherwise known as RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located beside the village of Waddington, south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England. The station is the RAF's Intelligence Surveillance Target ...

in 1973 and Deputy Director of Operational Requirements in 1976, and Director of Personnel (Air) in 1977. Promoted to air commodore on 1 January 1978, he became Director of Operational Requirements in 1980. On 30 January 1982, Air Commodore Peirse was appointed Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, with the acting rank of air vice marshal. He was promoted to substantive air vice marshal on 6 July. Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1984 New Year Honours List, he served as Defence Services Secretary from 1985 to his retirement. On 9 March 1988 Peirse was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, and retired from the RAF on 16 June.The London Gazette, 26 July 1988
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Later life

In retirement, he was

Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod The Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet Rod is the Gentleman Usher to the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, established 14 January 1726. The Brunswick Herald, an officer of arms of the Order of the Bath, was annexed with the position at the time it ...

between 1990 and 2002 and Registrar and Secretary of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

between 2002 and 2006.

Personal life

In 1955 Peirse married Karalie Grace Cox; they had two daughters, Amanda and Susan. After his first marriage was dissolved, he married Deirdre Mary O'Donovan in 1963; they had one son, who died (Richard b. 1965). Following the death of his second wife he married Anna Jill Margaret Long (née Latey) in 1977.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peirse, Richard 1931 births 2014 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order People educated at Bradfield College Royal Air Force air marshals Commandants of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Military personnel from London