Peter Ratcliffe

This article is about the British Army officer and author. For the British doctor and biologist, see Peter J. Ratcliffe.

Peter Ratcliffe
Nickname(s)	Billy
Born	Salford, Greater Manchester, England
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Major
Unit	Special Air Service, Parachute Regiment
Battles/wars	Ulster Dhofar Rebellion Falklands War First Persian Gulf War
Awards	Distinguished Conduct Medal Mentioned in Despatches
Other work	Author

Peter Ratcliffe DCM is a former British Army soldier. Having served with the British Army in the Parachute Regiment and the Special Air Service Regiment in a career of almost thirty years, during which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for gallantry in action during the Persian Gulf War, he is the author of the book The Eye of the Storm (2000).

Early life

Ratcliffe was born in 1951 and spent his childhood years in Salford, Greater Manchester, where as a teenager he was an apprenticed plasterer.

Military career

He joined the British Army's Parachute Regiment in January 1970 as Private #24180996, going on to serve with it in Operation Banner in Ulster with its 1st Battalion in 1971-72, before in 1972 transferring to the Special Air Service Regiment, being attached to the 22. S.A.S. Regiment, seeing service with its 18 (Mobility) Troop, 'D' Squadron. During his time in the S.A.S. he saw active service in a number of conflicts, including the Dhofar Rebellion in Oman, the Paramilitary War in Ulster, the Falklands War, and "Operation Granby" in the Persian Gulf War. During the latter conflict Ratcliffe was 22. S.A.S.'s Regimental Sergeant Major, and received an order to assume command of its 'A' Squadron, in a highly unusual circumstance of a Non-Commissioned Officer replacing an Officer with a Commission in a command position. He subsequently led the Squadron on a raid behind enemy lines against an Iraqi Army communications facility code-named by the British "Victor Two", for which he was afterwards awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for gallantry in action. Ratcliffe received a commission in 1992, and after completing his career as a training officer with 23. Special Air Service Regiment, he retired from the British Army after almost thirty years service with the rank of Major in 1997.

Post-military activities

Ratcliffe published a memoir of his military career entitled Eye of the Storm in 2000. He has been critical of other published works by former Special Air Service Regiment personnel, specifically "Andy McNab" and "Chris Ryan", claiming that they have damaged the reputation of the Corps by fabricating elements of their war experiences in published works in pursuance of pecuniary gain. Ratcliffe has also publicly voiced concern about the provision of Post traumatic stress assistance provided by the British Government to former soldiers of the British Army, following a number of high profile suicides by former S.A.S. soldiers after their military service careers.

Publications

• Eye of the Storm: 25 Years in Action with the SAS (2000).
• The Little Book of the SAS (2001).