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Vice Admiral Sir Richard Peek KBE CB DSC was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy, who served as First Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board from 1970 to 1973.
Richard Innes Peek was born in 1914 in West Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia, the younger son of James Peek and Kate Doughty. [1]
Richard enrolled in the Royal Australian Navy College in 1928 [2] as a cadet midshipman and graduated with maximum honours. His specialist gunnery training followed, with the Royal Navy as was typical of the era, at Portsmouth, England. He was consolidating his training as a gunnery officer, serving on the battleship HMS Revenge, at the outbreak of the Second World War.
In 1941 he returned to Australia and served as a lieutenant gunnery officer on HMAS Hobart at the Battle of the Coral Sea, and later HMAS Australia until 1944. While serving aboard Australia, Richard was wounded during the kamikaze attack at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and for his efforts immediately after was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his 'skill, determination and courage' during the battle. [2][3] Peek was additionally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for 'gallantry and skill' during assault operations on the Lingayan Gulf. [2][4]
Richard married Margaret Kendall in 1943 in Sydney, New South Wales. [5]
Following the war, and by then a Lieutenant Commander, Richard was posted to England to undertake the Staff Course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, Joint Services Staff College. Whilst in England, he led the RAN contingent at the London victory celebrations on 8th June 1946. After his return to Australia, Richard was promoted to Commander. From 1951 he served as commanding officer of HMAS Shoalhaven and commander of the First Frigate Squadron, before going on to command HMAS Bataan. During the Korean War, August 1951-February 1952, he commanded the destroyer HMAS Tobruk for which service he was appointed Officer of the United States' Legion of Merit. [6][7][8]
Following Margaret's untimely death, Richard married a second time, to Catherine.
From 1954 Richard served as Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel. After promotion to Captain in 1956 he again commanded HMAS Tobruk and was also Captain (Destroyers) of the 10th Destroyer Squadron. The ship was part of the Malayan Emergency response. He completed the 1961 course at the Imperial Defence College, following which he was given command of the RANs two aircraft carriers, firstly, HMAS Sydney and then RAN flagship HMAS Melbourne. In 1964 he was promoted to Rear Admiral and from 1967 was Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet, which included oversight of the British Commonwealth's Far East Strategic Reserve. During this period the RAN first participated in naval bombardment operations in the Vietnam War. In 1968, he was appointed Second Naval Member and Chief of Personnel.
Richard was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1970. On 1st January 1971, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). [9] He was further honoured, in the New Year Honours 1972, when he was created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). [10] During his tenure as First Naval Member (Chief of Naval Staff), the RAN's involvement in the Vietnam War ended, and he was heavily involved in restructuring the Navy as a result of the decision by the Whitlam Government to combine the separate departments of the Navy, Army, and Air Force into the Department of Defence.
Richard retired from the RAN on 28th July 1974, [2] following a stellar career spanning six decades, and became a pastoralist in the Monaro district of southern New South Wales, near Cooma. He maintained an active involvement and interest in naval and military affairs, and campaigned forthrightly for the welfare of veterans. His many activities included:
Aged years and having been widowed twice, Richard passed away on 28th August 2010 in Canberra. [11] He was survived by his son Matthew, daughters Jane and Rachel, and their families.
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Categories: Officers of the Legion of Merit | Royal Australian Navy Admirals | Royal Australian Navy Admirals, Chiefs of Navy | Cooma, New South Wales | Companions of the Order of the Bath | HMAS Sydney (1944) | HMAS Melbourne (1947) | HMAS Shoalhaven (1944) | HMAS Bataan (1944) | HMAS Tobruk (1947) | Royal Naval College, Greenwich | West Tamworth, New South Wales | Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell, Jervis Bay, Jervis Bay Territory | HMAS Australia (1928) | Officers of the Order of the British Empire | Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) | Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Australia, Notables in the Military | Notables | Wounded in Action, Australia, World War II