{{Short description|Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal (1945–2018)}} {{for|the Commandant of RAF College Cranwell|Peter J. M. Squires}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = [[Air Chief Marshal]] |name = Sir Peter Squire |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCB|DFC|AFC|DL|FRAeS}} |image= |image_size= |alt= |caption= |birth_date= {{birth date|df=y|1945|10|07}} |death_date= {{death date and age|df=y|2018|2|19|1945|10|07}} |birth_place= [[Felixstowe]], England |death_place= [[Gidleigh]], England |birth_name= Peter Ted Squire |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= [[Royal Air Force]] |service_years= 1966–2003 |rank= [[Air chief marshal]] |service_number= |unit= |commands= [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] (2000–03)<br/>[[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]] (1999–00)<br/>[[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]] (1993)<br/>[[RAF Cottesmore]] (1986–88)<br/>[[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 (F) Squadron]] (1981–83) |battles= [[Falklands War]]<br/>[[Operation Veritas]]<br/>[[Operation Telic]] |awards= [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br/>[[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]]<br/>[[Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air]] |relations= |other_work= }}
[[Air Chief Marshal]] '''Sir Peter Ted Squire''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|DFC|AFC|DL|FRAeS}} (7 October 1945 – 19 February 2018) was a senior [[Royal Air Force]] officer. He was a fast jet pilot in the 1970s, a squadron commander during the [[Falklands War]], and a senior air commander in the 1990s. Squire served as [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] from 2000 to 2003. In retirement he was the chairman of the [[board of trustees]] of the [[Imperial War Museum]] and vice-chairman of the board of the [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]].
==Early life== Peter Squire was born at [[Felixstowe]], [[Suffolk]], on 7 October 1945, the son of Wing Commander Frank Squire, D.S.O., D.F.C., who was the son of a [[Devon]] farmer, and Margaret Pascoe Squire (née Trump). He received his schooling at the independent [[King's School, Bruton]] in [[Somerset]], the fees of which were paid for by the British Government as he was the son of a serving military commissioned officer.<ref name=WW>''[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]] 2010'', [[A & C Black]], 2010, {{ISBN|978-1-4081-1414-8}}</ref>
==Military career== In 1961, at the age of sixteen Squire was awarded a scholarship to academically study at [[RAF College Cranwell]], which he entered in 1963.<ref>Interview with Peter Squire about his life and career, Imperial War Museum's Sound Archive.</ref> He received a commission into the Royal Air Force with the rank of [[Pilot Officer]] on 15 July 1966.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=44110|supp=y|page=9965|date=9 September 1966}}</ref> He was promoted to [[flying officer]] on 15 January 1967,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=44227|supp=y|page=576|date=13 January 1967}}</ref> and sent to [[No. 20 Squadron RAF|No. 20 Squadron]] based in [[Singapore]] to fly [[Hawker Hunter|Hunters]] in 1968.<ref name=WW/> He was promoted to [[flight lieutenant]] on 15 January 1969,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=44770|supp=y|page=733|date=17 January 1969}}</ref> and joined No. 4 Flying Training School in [[Anglesey]] in 1970.<ref name=WW/>
In 1973 he commanded the R.A.F.'s display squadron "[[The Red Arrows]]", and was awarded the [[Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air]] in the 1973 Birthday Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=45984|supp=y|page=6504|date=22 May 1973}}</ref> and having been promoted to [[squadron leader]] on 1 July 1973,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46029|supp=y|page=8289|date=17 July 1973}}</ref> flew [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier|Harriers]] with [[No. 3 Squadron RAF|No. 3 Squadron]] in [[West Germany]] from 1975.<ref name=WW/> He was awarded the [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]] in the 1979 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47869|supp=y|page=15|date=15 June 1979}}</ref> Promoted to [[wing commander]] on 1 July 1980,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=48294|supp=y|page=12376|date=1 September 1980}}</ref>
=== Falklands War === [[File:DF-ST-85-13457.JPEG|thumb|right|300px|[[Hawker Siddeley Harrier|Harrier]], a type flown by Squire during the Falklands War]] Squire was appointed commanding officer of [[No. 1 Squadron RAF|No. 1 (F) Squadron]] at [[RAF Wittering]] in 1981, flying Harrier GR.3 aircraft.<ref name=WW/> In 1982, he led the squadron during the [[Falklands War]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49194|supp=y|page=16124|date=13 December 1982}}</ref> On 13 April 1982, the squadron deployed to [[CFB Goose Bay]] in Canada for an exercise, completing a six-hour flight using [[Aerial refuelling|air-to-air refuelling]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/HarrierDiary1.cfm|title=The No 1 (Fighter) Squadron Operation Corporate Diary|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=25 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404173201/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/HarrierDiary1.cfm|archive-date=4 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The squadron departed from [[RAF St Mawgan]] for [[RAF Ascension Island]] on 3 May 1982, where it later embarked on the merchant vessel {{SS|Atlantic Conveyor}}.<ref name=iwm>{{cite web|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.20771 |title=Wing Commander Peter Squire, No. 1 (F) Squadron, RAF |publisher=Imperial War Museum |access-date=25 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609175139/http://www.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.20771 |archive-date=9 June 2011 }}</ref> After arrival in the [[South Atlantic Ocean]], the aircraft were transferred to {{HMS|Hermes|R12|6}}, a few days before the ''Atlantic Conveyor'' was struck by two [[Exocet]] missiles and sunk.<ref name=iwm/>
No. 1 (F) Squadron became the first Royal Air Force unit to operate in a combat role from a British aircraft carrier since the [[Second World War]] and were assigned to the ground-attack role during the conflict.<ref name=Briley>{{cite web|url=http://www.falklands.info/history/hist82article14.html|first=Harold|last=Briley|title=RAF's Falklands Role in War and Peace|publisher=Falklands Info|date=November 2003|access-date=25 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517012921/http://falklands.info/history/hist82article14.html|archive-date=17 May 2012}}</ref>
Squire flew 24 sorties against Argentine positions in support of operations and during one mission, a 7.62 mm round fired from the ground penetrated the cockpit of his Harrier.<ref name=iwm/> * On 8 June 1982, He experienced an engine failure in XZ989 while attempting an emergency landing at the [[San Carlos, Falkland Islands|San Carlos]] forward operating base, after sustaining battle damage around [[Battle of Two Sisters#No-Man's Land|Two Sisters]], walking away uninjured<ref>{{cite web|title=Report on the crash for Harrier GR3 XZ989|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|year=2020|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=55553|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> * On 13 June 1982, he became the first R.A.F. pilot to drop a [[laser-guided bomb]] in combat, during the [[Battle of Mount Tumbledown#Argentine Retreat|Battle of Mount Tumbledown]]<ref>https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/70000080 13.06.82 - Wg Cdr Peter Squire in XZ997/31 and Flt Lt Mark Hare in XZ133 attacked a company HQ on Mt Tumbledown, marked by a FAC</ref> and was subsequently awarded the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<ref name=dfc>{{London Gazette|issue=49134|supp=y|page=12854|date=8 October 1982}}</ref>
Four of No. 1 (F) Squadron’s ten Harriers were lost during the campaign, three to enemy ground fire, and one (piloted by Squire) due to engine failure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/F63braircraftlost.htm| title=List of British Aircraft Destroyed|publisher=Naval History|access-date=27 May 2012}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! Aircraft type & serial ! Pilot ! Date ! Location ! Cause / Weapon |- | Harrier GR.3 XZ972 || Flt‑Lt Jeff Glover || 21 May 1982 || [[Port Howard]], West Falkland || Shot down by [[Blowpipe (missile)#Combat performance|Blowpipe SAM]]<ref name="XZ972" /> |- | Harrier GR.3 XZ988 || Sqn Ldr Bob Iveson || 27 May 1982 || Near Goose Green || Hit by [[GADA 601#GR3 Harriers in action|20mm cannon AA fire]]<ref name="XZ988" /> |- | Harrier GR.3 XZ963 || Sqn Ldr Jerry Pook || 30 May 1982 || West of Port Stanley || Damaged by small-arms fire, crashed (fuel exhaustion) <ref name="XZ963" /> |- | Harrier GR.3 XZ989 || Wg Cdr Peter Squire || 8 June 1982 || [[Port San Carlos]] area || Mechanical failure on landing <ref name="XZ989" /> |}
After the war, while still stationed in the Falklands, Squire experienced another engine failure on 6 November 1982 during a routine patrol in Harrier GR.3, serial XW767.<ref name="XW767">{{cite web |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/55551 |title=Accident Harrier GR.3 XW767, 06 Nov 1982 |website=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=1 August 2025}}</ref> He was forced to [[ejection seat|eject]] at low altitude near [[Cape Pembroke]] and was rescued uninjured from the sea by a Royal Navy helicopter.<ref name=Briley/> Upon returning to the United Kingdom, he was appointed leader of the R.A.F.'s Command Briefing and Presentation Team, and later served as Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding [[RAF Strike Command]] in 1984.<ref name=WW/> He was promoted to [[group captain]] on 1 July 1985,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50195|supp=y|page=9770|date=15 July 1985}}</ref> and the following year became Station Commander at [[RAF Cottesmore]].<ref name=WW/>
=== Later career === He was appointed to the post of Director Air Offensive at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] in 1989.<ref name=WW/> Following his promotion to [[air commodore]] on 1 January 1990,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52005|supp=y|page=73|date=2 January 1990}}</ref> he became senior air staff officer at H.Q. 'Strike Command' and Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (United Kingdom) Air Forces in 1991<ref name=WW/> and received further promotion to [[air vice-marshal]] on 1 July 1991.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52591|supp=y|page=10091|date=1 July 1991}}</ref> He was appointed [[Air Officer Commanding]] [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]] in February 1993, however, after only a few months he was replaced by Air Vice Marshal [[John Day (RAF officer)|John Day]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Grp01.htm|title=Group #s 1 – 9|publisher=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation|access-date=27 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613205457/http://www.rafweb.org/Grp01.htm|archive-date=13 June 2012}}</ref> He served as [[Assistant Chief of the Air Staff]] from 1994 and, having been promoted to [[air marshal]] on 9 February 1996,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54314|page=2190|date=12 February 1996}}</ref> became [[Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff|Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Programmes and Personnel)]] in 1996.<ref name=WW/>
He was appointed [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[1997 Birthday Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54794|supp=y|page=2|date=13 June 1997}}</ref> Appointed [[Air Aide-de-Camp]] to [[Elizabeth II|The Queen]] on 29 March 1999,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55453|supp=y|page=4139|date=12 April 1999}}</ref> he was promoted to [[air chief marshal]], and became [[Commander-in-Chief]] [[RAF Strike Command]], and Commander Allied Air Forces Northwestern Europe on 30 March 1999.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55442|supp=y|page=3613|date=29 March 1999}}</ref>
In 2000 he became [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]],<ref name=WW/> and was advanced to [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[2001 New Year Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=56070|supp=y|page=2|date=30 December 2000}}</ref> As Chief of the Air Staff he advised the British Government on the British air contribution to [[Operation Veritas]] in [[Afghanistan]] in 2001,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3126/is_657_56/ai_n28871992/|title=Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire; Chief of the Air Staff|publisher=Interavia Business & Technology|date=October 2001|access-date=27 May 2012}}</ref> and then to [[Operation Telic]] in [[Iraq]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Iraq+War%3A+COMMITMENT%3A+Population+can+face+the+future+with+confidence,...-a099691656|title=Iraq War: Commitment: Population can face the future with confidence, says Ingram|work=The Birmingham Post|date=5 April 2003|access-date=27 May 2012}}</ref> He retired on 5 December 2003.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57168|supp=y|page=130|date=6 January 2004}}</ref>
==Later life== In retirement Squire joined the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57175|supp=y|page=385|date=13 January 2004}}</ref> He was chairman of the [[board of trustees]] of the [[Imperial War Museum]] from 2003 to 2011,<ref name=WW/> and vice-chairman of the board of the [[Commonwealth War Graves Commission]] from 2005 to 2008.<ref name=WW/> He was also a governor at [[King's School, Bruton]],<ref name=WW/> and the [[deputy lieutenant]] of [[Devon]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=58638 |date= 12 March 2008 |page=3859 }}</ref> In 2004 he privately issued a narrative of the combat operations by No.1 (F) Squadron in the Falklands in 1982, entitled 'The Harrier Goes to War'.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Harrier Goes to War|first=Peter |last=Squire|year=2004|url=http://www.radarmalvinas.com.ar/relatos/diario%20squire%20traba.pdf|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref> In 2005 he recorded an extended interview detailing his military career with the Imperial War Museum's Sound Archive.<ref>{{cite web|title=Interview with Peter Squire|publisher=Imperial War Museum Sound Archive|year=2020|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80025717|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref>
He died of heart failure at the age of 72 on 19 February 2018 at his home, "Lower Park", at [[Gidleigh]] in [[Devon]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/221997/squire |title=Squire |access-date=23 February 2018 |archive-date=23 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223232300/http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/221997/squire |url-status=dead }}</ref> A funeral service was held at [[Holy Trinity Church, Gidleigh]] in early March 2018.<ref>{{cite web|title=Obituary for Peter Squire|publisher=The Moorlander|date=8 March 2018|url=http://themoorlander.co.uk/air-chief-marshal-sir-peter-squire/|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> A memorial service was held for him at [[St Clement Danes Church]] in London on 1 June 2018,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1fsa.org/news.php?article=30|title=Memorial service for Sir Peter Squire|publisher=No. 1 Fighter Squadron Association|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref> the Queen being represented by [[Lord Craig of Radley]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Court Circular| publisher= Buckingham Palace|date=1 June 2018|url=https://www.royal.uk/court-circular?text=&mrf=&date%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=19/06/2017&date%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=19/06/2018&id=&page=9|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 1970 he married Carolyn Joynson, the marriage producing three sons.<ref name=WW/> His main personal interest was golf.<ref name=WW/>
==Arms== {{Infobox COA wide |image = Coat of Arms of Peter Squire.svg |bannerimage = |badgeimage = |notes =Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath since 2001 |adopted = |crest = A four-winged bird Gules, armed, beaked, and langued Or. |torse = Argent and Azure torse. |helm = |escutcheon = Gyronny Azure and Murrey a Mullet of eight points gyronny Or and Argent voided fracted at the inner angles and the arms of each piece pointed the whole enclosing a Sun in Splendour Or a Bordure engrailed gobony of eight also Or and Argent. |supporters = On either side a bull rampant regardant Gules armed, unguled and gorged Or with an [[astral crown]] of the last. |compartment = |motto = ''EXAMPLE THROUGH ENDEAVOUR''<ref>{{citation|title=The Heraldry Gazette|date=December 2008|publisher=The Heraldry Society|url=http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/home.htm|pages=7|access-date=27 May 2012|archive-date=25 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625142707/http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/home.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> |orders = Collar as grand cross Knight and the [[Order of the Bath]] circlet.<ref>[http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/Jpglossk.htm ''Order of the Bath Insignia''], Heraldsnet . Retrieved 28 December 2013</ref> |other_elements = |banner = |badge = |symbolism = |previous_versions = }}
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="XZ972">[https://www.naval-history.net/F63-Falklands-British_aircraft_lost.htm Naval-History.net: Harrier GR.3 XZ972 shot down 21 May 1982]</ref> <ref name="XZ988">[https://www.naval-history.net/F63-Falklands-British_aircraft_lost.htm Naval-History.net: Harrier GR.3 XZ988 shot down 27 May 1982]</ref> <ref name="XZ963">[https://www.naval-history.net/F63-Falklands-British_aircraft_lost.htm Naval-History.net: Harrier GR.3 XZ963 crash 30 May 1982]</ref> <ref name="XZ989">[https://www.naval-history.net/F63-Falklands-British_aircraft_lost.htm Naval-History.net: Harrier GR.3 XZ989 damaged on landing 8 June 1982]</ref> }}
==External links== * [http://www.on-target-aviation.com/falklands25.html The air combat in the Falklands War]
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} |- {{s-bef|before=P J Goddard}} {{s-ttl|title=Station Commander [[RAF Cottesmore]] |years=1986–1988}} {{s-aft|after=R D Elder}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Richard Johns]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Air Officer Commanding]] [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]]|years=1993}} {{s-aft|after=[[John Day (RAF officer)|John Day]]}} {{succession box|title=[[Assistant Chief of the Air Staff]] |before=[[Anthony Bagnall]]|after=[[Timothy Jenner]]|years=1994–1996}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Thomas Boyd-Carpenter|Sir Thomas Boyd-Carpenter]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff|Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Programmes and Personnel)]]|years=1996–1999}} {{s-aft|after=[[Malcolm Pledger|Sir Malcolm Pledger]]}} |- {{succession box | title=Commander-in-Chief [[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]] | before=[[John Allison (RAF officer)|Sir John Allison]] | after=[[Anthony Bagnall|Sir Anthony Bagnall]] | years=1999–2000}} |- {{succession box | title=[[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] | before=[[Richard Johns|Sir Richard Johns]] | after=[[Jock Stirrup|Sir Jock Stirrup]]| years=2000–2003}} |- {{s-hon}} {{s-bef | before = [[John Allison (RAF officer)|Sir John Allison]]}} {{s-ttl | title = [[Air Aide-de-Camp]] to Her Majesty The Queen| years = 1999–2003}} {{s-aft | after = [[Jock Stirrup|Sir Jock Stirrup]]}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Jock Slater|Sir Jock Slater]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Chairman]] [[Board of Trustees]], [[Imperial War Museum]] |years=2006–2011}} {{s-aft| after=[[Francis Richards (diplomat)|Sir Francis Richards]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Chief of the Air Staff}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Squire, Peter}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:2018 deaths]] [[Category:Royal Air Force air chief marshals]] [[Category:Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air]] [[Category:Chiefs of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)]] [[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Falklands War]] [[Category:Falklands War pilots]] [[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]] [[Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)]] [[Category:Red Arrows]] [[Category:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell]] [[Category:People educated at King's School, Bruton]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society]] [[Category:Deputy lieutenants of Devon]] [[Category:Military personnel from Suffolk]]