Richard Peirse

Sir Richard Edmund Charles Peirse KCB, DSO, AFC
Portrait of Peirse commissioned by the Ministry of Information circa 1943
Born	(1892-09-30)30 September 1892 Croydon, England
Died	5 August 1970(1970-08-05) (aged 77)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy (1912–18)  Royal Air Force (1918–45)
Years of service	1912–1945
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	Allied Air Command South-East Asia Air Forces in India Bomber Command Palestine Transjordan Command RAF Heliopolis RAF Gosport No. 222 Squadron
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches (3)
Relations	Admiral Sir Richard Peirse (father) Air Vice Marshal Sir Richard Peirse (son)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Edmund Charles Peirse, KCB, DSO, AFC (30 September 1892 – 5 August 1970) was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

Born the son of Admiral Sir Richard Peirse and educated at Monkton Combe School and at King's College London, Peirse became a midshipman in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and was commissioned in 1912. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his contribution to the aerial attack on Dunkirk on 23 January 1915. and was promoted to flight commander in May 1915. He was further promoted in July 1916 to squadron commander.

Later that year, on 18 August 1915, Peirse married Mary Joyce Ledgard (1894–1975), younger daughter of Mr and Mrs Armitage Ledgard, of the Manor House, Thorner, Yorkshire. They had one son and one daughter. The marriage was dissolved in 1945.

Peirse served as a pilot with the Royal Naval Air Service until 1 April 1918 when it became part of the Royal Air Force. With the formation of the RAF, Peirse became Officer Commanding No. 222 Squadron. Following promotion to wing commander in January 1922, in 1923 he became Station Commander at RAF Gosport and in 1929 he was made Station Commander at RAF Heliopolis. He was also promoted to group captain in 1929. He went on to be Deputy Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Air Ministry in 1930 and, having been promoted to Air Commodore in 1933, was appointed Air Officer Commanding Palestine Transjordan Command. Promoted again, this time to Air Vice-Marshal in 1936, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Director of Operations and Intelligence in January 1937.