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Casement, Peter Reginald

Date of birth:
May 22nd, 1921 (County Antrim/Northern Ireland, United Kingdom)
Date of death:
December 12th, 2016
Service number:
44188
Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

Group Captain Peter Casement was educated at Marlborough College. He learnt to fly Tiger Moths in 1939 and flew solo after just 11 hours and 30 minutes of training.
During WW2 he flew with No 61 Squadron and took part in many strategically important missions such as the first of Bomber Command's 'thousand bomber raids' on Germany on May 30, 1942 in which 73 Lancaster bombers participated.
After the war Casement was posted to Amman in the Middle East, returning to the UK in 1948 to continue his RAF career in St Eval, Cornwall and at Joint Service Defence College Latimer, Buckinghamshire. Appointed to the rank of Wing Commander, the youngest in the RAF at the time, he served in Cyprus during the Suez Crisis. His later career included stints at RAF Binbrook, working back home in Northern Ireland where he was attached to HMS Sea Eagle, working with Nato Submarines and RAF Mountbatten in Plymouth. Casement ended his career as Station Commander of RAF Topcliffe in Yorkshire in 1966.
When Casement retired in 1968, he had flown 3,800 hours in 27 different aircraft.

Promotions:
21 July, 1940: Pilot Officer on Probation
21 July, 1941: Flying Officer (war sub)
21 July, 1942: Flight Lieutenant (war sub)
1 August, 1947: Squadron Leader
1 July, 1951: Wing Commander
1 January, 1960: Group Captain

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Acting Squadron Leader
Unit:
No. 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
December 29th, 1942
Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Flying Officer
Unit:
No. 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
October 24th, 1941
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Acting Flight Lieutenant
Unit:
No. 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
September 1st, 1942
Citation:
"Flight Lieutenant Casement is an outstanding captain and pilot. He has completed numerous operational missions, during which he has attacked highly important industrial targets in Germany; he has also completed several patrols over the Atlantic and has assisted in the destruction of a U-boat. Throughout his operational career, this officer has displayed great efficiency and devotion to duty which have proved a source of encouragement to his fellow captains."

Second DFC awarded as a Bar.
Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Squadron Leader
Awarded on:
June 7th, 1951
Air Force Cross (AFC)
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)

With "FRANCE AND GERMANY" clasp.
Air Crew Europe Star
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Acting Squadron Leader
Awarded on:
January 1st, 1945
Mentioned in Dispatches
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)

With Clasps "MALAYA" and "PALESTINE 1945 - 48"
General Service Medal 1918-1962

Sources

Photo