Peter de la billiere biography

GENERAL SIR PETER DE LA BILLIÈRE was born in 1934, educated at Harrow School and joined the KSLI in 1952. After commissioning into the Durham Light Infantry he served with 1 DLI in Japan, Korea and then for two years in the Suez Canal Zone and in Jordan. In 1956 he joined the Special Air Service and fought the communist terrorists in Malaya. In 1959 he led a troop during the assault in Jebel Akhdar, where he won his first Military Cross.

From 1964 to 1966 General de la Billière commanded A Squadron 22 SAS on operations in Radfan and Borneo, gaining a bar to his MC. He later returned to 22 SAS as Second-in-Command and subsequently Commanding Officer. During the period 1969–74 he commanded operations in Musandam and Dhofar. He was appointed a Member of the Distinguished Service Order.

In 1977 General de la Billière assumed command of the British Army Training Team in Sudan. Between 1979 and 1983 he commanded the Special Air Service Group and was in overall military command of the outstandingly successful assault to release the hostages held in the Iranian Embassy in London. He was appointed CBE in 1983 and KCB in 1988. On 6 October 1990 General de la Billière assumed command of the British Forces in the Middle East. After his return to the UK, he was appointed KBE, promoted General and became special adviser to the Minister of Defence on Middle East matters. He retired from active service in June 1992.

In 1992 Storm Command, his personal account of the Gulf War, was published and became an instant bestseller. In 1994 his autobiography, Looking for Trouble, also entered the bestseller list on publication.

General de la Billière is now a main-board director of Robert Fleming Holdings, and is married to Bridget and has three children.

General Sir Peter de la Billiere, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC (bar)

This article is a bare-bones biography. More information can be found in General Sir Peter de la Billiere's biogrpahy, "Looking for Trouble", ISBN 00002552450, published by Harpercolliuns in 1994.

Peter Edgar Delacour was born at 0925 on 29th April 1934, to Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Denis de Labillerie, and his wife Kitty Lawley. At the age of seven, Peter lost his father, who was reported missing after his ship, the cruiser HMS Fiji, was bombed and sunk, by German bombers off of Crete.

At the age of eight and a half, Peter started school at St Peter's, from 1942 until 1946, his school-life being interrupted, when a fire destroyed Shobrooke Park House in the early hours of 23rd January 1945, when he was ten, and which led to a quick evacuation. The school reassembled in the summer term, in another large house in the country near Bideford, and returned to Broadstairs in the autumn, the war being finally over. His mother had remarried in 1943 to Major Maurice Bennetts, and a half brother David was born, Peter already having a brother, Micheal.

After St Peters, Peter went onto Harrow, despite the hefty fees which, his mother had some difficulty paying. His favorite occupation was shooting, but he still resented the school rules, and devoted much time to bending or breaking them. Sadly, his mother's relationship turned sour while he was at Harrow, and the Maurices left. Back at Harrow, Peter had trouble with music and finally gave up, he also took classes in navigation. Peter left Harrow with two distinctions, and two credits, having scraped through in mathematics. The year after, his mother was taken ill by carbon-monoxide poisoning, from a newly installed boiler and was disabled, which led to family rows, as Aunt Joyce, tried to put her, in an asylum.

Peter now tried to join the Merchant Navy, but was rejected, as tests revealed he was colour blind, and his attention became fo

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British Army officer

Not to be confused with Peter Labilliere.

GeneralSir Peter Edgar de la Cour de la Billière, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC & Bar, , DL (born 29 April 1934) is a former British Army officer who was Director SAS during the Iranian Embassy siege, and Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Operation Granby (the Gulf War).

Early years

Peter de la Billière was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Claude Denis Delacour de la Billière and his wife, Frances Christine Wright ("Kitty") Lawley. On 22 May 1941 his father, who had been educated at Monkton Combe School near Bath, Somerset, was killed when his ship, HMS Fiji, was sunk by German bombers in an attack south-west of Crete.

De la Billière was educated at St Peter's Court School, in Broadstairs, Kent, and Harrow School. A "Peter de la Billière" is mentioned as pupil evacuee of St Peter's Court sent to Crediton, Devon in Our Land at War by Duff Hart-Davis.

Military career

De la Billière originally enlisted as a private in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1952. He was later commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Durham Light Infantry. During his early career as an officer he served in Japan, Korea and Egypt with the regiment's 1st Battalion.

Special Air Service Regiment

In 1956, de la Billière attended and passed Selection for the Special Air Service. During his first SAS tour, he served in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency, as well as Oman where he was mentioned in despatches and was awarded the Military Cross in 1959 for leading a troop in the assault on Jebel Akdar. After his initial tour with 22 SAS, he returned to the Durham Light Infantry to run recruit training, before taking up the post of Adjutant