Peter Phipps
| Sir Peter Phipps | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 December 1908 |
| Died | 18 September 1989 (aged 80) Marlborough, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service/branch | Royal New Zealand Navy |
| Years of service | 1928–65 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held |
Chief of Defence Staff Chief of Naval Staff HMS Royalist HMNZS Philomel HMNZS Moa HMNZS Scarba |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Cross & Bar Navy Cross (United States) |
Vice Admiral Sir Peter Phipps, KBE, DSC & Bar, VRD (c. 1909 – 18 September 1989) was a founding father of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). For heroism at Guadalcanal, the United States of America awarded him the Navy Cross, their second highest award for valor. Phipps was the first New Zealander to reach the rank of vice admiral in the RNZN. He was also served as Chief of Naval Staff and the first Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force.
Phipps began his military career in 1928 when he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as an ordinary seaman. He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in 1930 and as a lieutenant in 1934.
In 1940, after the outbreak of war, he traveled to the United Kingdom where he was given his first command. This was the minesweeper HMS Bay which operated in the English Channel. Fifty aircraft attacked the convoy that Bay was helping escort and she was bombed. Phipps was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bringing his damaged ship home.
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