|
General Sir Peter de la Billière was born in 1934 and 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 in Malaya where he was mentioned in Despatches. In 1959 he led a troop during the assault in Jebel Akdar, where he won the Military Cross. After sailing the 22 foot sloop Cape Albacore, from Falmouth to Aden in 1962, he served for almost two years with the Federal Regular Army before returning to command a Squadron of the SAS.
From 1964 to 1966 General de la Bilière commanded A Squadron on operations in Radfan and Borneo gaining a bar to the Military Cross. After completing the Staff Course at Camberley and a Staff Appointment at United Kingdom Land Forces, he returned to 22 SAS as Second-in-Command and subsequently Commanding Officer. During the period 1969-74 he commanded operations in Musandam and Dhofar and established the Counter Terrorist Force immediately following the Munich Games incident. He was appointed a Member of the Distinguished Service Order.
After spending two years on the Directing Staff at the Army Staff College, Camberley, General de la Billière took his family across the Nubian Desert by Land Rover to assume command of the British Army Training Team in Sudan in 1977. Between 1979 and 1983 he commanded the Special Air Service Group. He was made CBE in the 1983 New Year’s Honours List. During 1983 he was a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies and from June 1984 until July 1985 was Military Commissioner and Commander British Forces Falklands, where his wife and family were with him.
From September 1985 to November 1987 he commanded Wales District in the rank of Major General and at the beginning of December 1986 was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Light Division.
In 1987 he took up the appointment of GOC South East District and Permanent Peacetime Commander of the Joint Force Operations Staff in the rank of Lieutenant General. He was appointed KCB in the New Year’s Honours List.
On October 6th 1990, General de la Billière assumed command of the British Forces in the Middle East. Under his command the British Forces expanded from approximately 14,000 at the beginning of November 1990 to in excess of 45,000 at the end of hostilities against Iraq in February 1991.
Following his return to UK, he was promoted to General and appointed as special advisor to the Ministry of Defence on Middle East matters.
General de la Billière is married to Bridget and has three children: Nicola, Phillida and Edward, born in 1966, 1967 and 1970 respectively. His interests include farming and sailing. | 
