Peter Whiteley (Royal Marines officer)

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Sir

Peter Whiteley
Born(1920-12-13)13 December 1920
Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
Died2 February 2016(2016-02-02) (aged 95)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Marines
Years of service1941–1979
RankGeneral
Commands heldAllied Forces Northern Europe (1977–79)
Commandant General Royal Marines (1975–77)
3 Commando Brigade (1968–70)
42 Commando (1965–66)
Battles/warsSecond World War
Malayan Emergency
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Mentioned in Despatches

General Sir Peter John Frederick Whiteley, GCB, OBE, DL (13 December 1920 – 2 February 2016)[1] was a British Royal Marines officer. He served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1975 to 1977 and then as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe from 1977 to 1979.

Early life[edit]

Whiteley was born on 13 December 1920 in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. He was educated at Bishop's Stortford College, then an all-boys private school in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, and at Bembridge School, a now closed all-boys independent school on the Isle of Wight.[2]

Whiteley was awarded a Newspaper Proprietors' Association scholarship to study at the University of London. However, with the outbreak of the Second World War, he decided to join the military rather than continue his studies.[2]

Military career[edit]

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Whiteley volunteered for the Royal Air Force. However, his application was rejected due to his poor eyesight. He then applied to the Royal Marines and was accepted, and he began his officer training.[2] He was commissioned as a probationary second lieutenant on 1 January 1940.[3] On 20 March 1942, his commission was confirmed and he was given the rank of lieutenant with seniority from 14 June 1941.[4] During the war, he served aboard HMS Resolution, a battleship, and aboard HMS Gambia, a light cruiser. During the latter part of the war, he served with the British Pacific Fleet, which was fighting against the Japanese.[2] He could claim to have fired some of the last shots of the war: on 15 August 1945, during an attack by a Japanese aircraft on his ship, he was attempting to shoot it down when the news of the ceasefire with Japan was received.[2]

Whiteley was selected to become commanding officer of 42 Commando in 1965.[5] He was then appointed commander of 3 Commando Brigade in 1968.[5] He became Commandant General Royal Marines in 1975, was promoted to full general on 17 January 1977,[6] and became Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe in 1977.[5]

Later life[edit]

Whiteley served as Lieutenant Governor of Jersey from 1979 to 1984,[7] and was Deputy Lieutenant of Devon.[8]

Whiteley died on 2 February 2016.[9][10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Whiteley, Gen. Sir Peter (John Frederick), (13 Dec. 1920–2 Feb. 2016), DL; Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Jersey, 1979–84". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u39637. ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e "General Sir Peter Whiteley – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  3. ^ "No. 34803". The London Gazette. 1 March 1940. p. 1244.
  4. ^ "No. 35508". The London Gazette. 31 March 1942. p. 1456.
  5. ^ a b c Special Units
  6. ^ "No. 47160". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 March 1977. p. 2826.
  7. ^ States Assembly Minutes
  8. ^ "No. 50857". The London Gazette. 11 March 1987. p. 3240.
  9. ^ "Obituary". Jersey Evening Post. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  10. ^ "General Sir Peter Whiteley: Innovative Royal Marine". The Independent. 13 February 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
Military offices
Preceded by Commandant General Royal Marines
1975–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Northern Europe
1977–1979 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
1979–1985 		Succeeded by
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