TracesOfWar needs your help! Every euro, pound or dollar you contribute greatly supports the continuation of this website. Go to stiwot.nl and donate!

Peirse, Richard Edmund Charles

Date of birth:
September 30th, 1892 (Croydon/London, United Kingdom)
Date of death:
August 5th, 1970 (Aylesbury district/Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom)
Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

Career:
?: Monkton Combe School;
?: King's College London;
1912: Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve;
November 1st, 1912: Officer, Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve;
October 1st, 1913: Grain Island NAS;
May 6th, 1914: Assistant Instructor, Central Flying School;
May 7th, 1915: Flight Commander, No 4 Squadron/Wing RNAS;
1915: Flight Commander, No 2 Wing RNAS;
1915: Flight Commander, No 5 Squadron RNAS (Dover);
1916: Flight Commander, No 4 Wing, Eastchurch;
June 30th, 1916: Squadron Commander, RNAS;
1917: Squadron Commander, RNAS Cranwell;
December 31st, 1917: Officer Commanding, Wing (Dover);
April 1st, 1918: Commanding Officer No. 222 Squadron, Royal Air Force;
June 5th, 1919: Officer Commanding, Aircraft in Fighting Ships, No 29 Group;
1920: Staff Officer, Headquarters No. 29 Group;
April 1st, 1922: RAF Staff College, Andover;
April 4th, 1923: Station Commander RAF Gosport;
September 15th, 1925: Air Staff, Deputy Directorate of Staff Duties;
January 8th, 1927: Imperial Defence College;
February 3rd, 1928: Air Staff, Headquarters RAF Middle East;
September 25th, 1929: Station Commander RAF Heliopolis;
July 8th, 1930 - December 31st, 1930: Half Pay List, Scale B;
November 17th, 1930: Supernumerary, Headquarters Coastal Area;
December 18th, 1930: Deputy Director of Operations and Intelligence, Air Ministry;
August 11th, 1932: Supernumerary, RAF Depot;
1933: Air Officer Commanding Palestine Transjordan Command;
January 25th, 1937: Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Director of Operations and Intelligence;
October 30th, 1939: Member Air Council;
April 22nd, 1940 - October 4th, 1940: Vice-Chief of the Air Staff;
October 5th, 1940 - January 1942: Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command;
March 6th, 1942: Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF India;
November 16th, 1943 - November 27th, 1944: Allied Air Commander in Chief, South-East Asia;
May 1945: Retirement.

Promotions:
1912: Midshipsman;
November 1st, 1912: Sub-Lieutenant;
July 1st, 1914: Flight Lieutenant;
May 7th, 1915: Flight Commander;
June 30th, 1916: Squadron Commander;
December 31st, 1917: Acting Wing Commander;
April 1st, 1918: temporary Lieutenant Colonel;
August 1st, 1919: Squadron Leader;
January 1st, 1922: Wing Commander;
July 1st, 1929: Group Captain;
July 1st, 1933: Air Commodore;
January 1st, 1936: Air Vice-Marshal;
October 30th, 1939: acting Air Marshal;
July 1st, 1940: temporary Air Marshal;
April 14th, 1942: Air Marshal;
July 1st, 1942: temporary Air Chief Marshal;
May 1945: Air Chief Marshal.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:
Flight Lieutenant
Awarded on:
February 17th, 1915
Mentioned in Dispatches
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:
Flight Lieutenant
Unit:
No 4. Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service
Awarded on:
April 10th, 1915
"These Officers have repeatedly attacked the German submarine station at Ostend and Zeebrugge, being subjected on each occasion to heavy and accurate fire, their machines being frequently hit In particular, on 23rd January, they each discharged eight bombs in an attack upon submarines alongside the mole at Zeebrugge, flying down to close range At the outset of this flight Lieutenant Davies was severely wounded by a bullet in the thigh, but nevertheless he accomplished his task, handling his machine for an hour with great skill in spite of pain and loss of blood"
Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:
Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
Awarded on:
June 3rd, 1918
Mentioned in Dispatches
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:
Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
Awarded on:
January 1st, 1919
Air Force Cross (AFC)
Period:
First World War (1914-1918)
Rank:
Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel
Awarded on:
April 1st, 1919
"For services rendered in the Mediterranean area."
Croce al Merito di Guerra
Rank:
Air Vice-Marshal
Unit:
HQ, RAF Palestine Transjordan Command, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
November 6th, 1936
Companion of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Temporary Air Marshal
Unit:
Air Staff, HQ, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
July 11th, 1940

HM Birthday Honours
-
Vice-Chief
Commander of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (KCB/DCB)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Air Marshal
Unit:
AHQ India, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
April 29th, 1942
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Order Odrodzenia Polski Komandorski
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Temporary Air Chief Marshal
Unit:
AHQ India, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
December 3rd, 1942

Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Mentioned in Dispatches
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Temporary Air Chief Marshal
Unit:
AHQ India, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
January 12th, 1943
"In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war."

Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
Ridder Grootkruis in de Orde van Oranje Nassau (ON.1)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Air Chief Marshal
Unit:
Allied Air Commander in Chief South-East Asia, Allied Forces
Awarded on:
March 15th, 1946
"In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war."
Legion of Merit - Commander (LoM - C)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Air Chief Marshal
Unit:
Allied Air Commander in Chief South-East Asia, Allied Forces
Awarded on:
July 29th, 1947
"In recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war."
Order of the Cloud and Banner with Yellow Grand Cordon (3rd Class)

Sources

Photo