Arthur Peck
| Arthur Hicks Peck | |
|---|---|
| Born |
25 April 1889 Darjeeling, India |
| Died | 14 February 1975 (aged 85) |
| Service/branch | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1914–1944 |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Unit | |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | World War I • Western Front • Macedonian Front • Sinai & Palestine campaign Ikhwan Revolt World War II |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order Military Cross & Bar |
Group Captain Arthur Hicks Peck DSO MC* (25 April 1889 – 14 February 1975) was an officer of the British Royal Air Force, who was a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories in World War I.
Arthur Peck was born in Darjeeling, India, the only son of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Samuel Peck (1858–1908) of Bristol. His father was a surgeon in the Indian Medical Service, who died at sea aboard HMS Serapis while returning to England.
Peck attended Clifton College, Bristol, from 1903 to 1906, and was admitted to Christ's College, Cambridge, before spending the years 1908 to 1914 in Australia.
Peck was commissioned as a temporary (wartime only) second lieutenant in the infantry on 7 December 1914, and served in the Devonshire Regiment in France and Salonika. He eventually joined the Royal Flying Corps, being transferred to the General List and appointed a flying officer on 4 October 1916. He was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain on 23 June 1917, and served in No. 111 Squadron based in Palestine.
Flying a Bristol F.2 two-seater, with Captain John Lloyd-Williams as his observer/gunner, Peck's first aerial victory came on 30 October 1917, forcing down a Type C reconnaissance aircraft north-west of Al-Khalasa, which was then captured. On 6 November he and Williams forced a Rumpler C to land at Um Dabkal, and on 8 November they shot down in flames an Albatros D.III over Hulayqat. On 17 November Peck was recommended for a Military Cross, following an action on 29 October when he single-handedly drove off three enemy reconnaissance aircraft over the Gaza Front.
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