Vice Admiral Sir Richard (‘Peter’) Peek KBE (OBE 1945) CB DSC

SUBJ: PASSING OF VADM SIR RICHARD PEEK, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN (RETD)
1. I REGRET TO INFORM THE NAVY OF THE PASSING OF VADM SIR RICHARD PEEK, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN (RTD). AT HIS REQUEST, A PRIVATE CREMATION SERVICE WAS HELD TODAY IN CANBERRA. VADM SIR RICHARD PEEK SERVED AS CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF FROM 1970 TO 1973, AS THE CULMINATION OF A DISTINGUISHED NAVAL CAREER IN WAR AND PEACE, AND REMAINED ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S ACTIVE ADVISORS IN NAVAL DEFENCE STRATEGY UNTIL THE END.
2. VADM SIR RICHARD PEEK’S LIFE WAS DEFINED BY THE IDEAL OF SERVICE. HE ENTERED THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVAL COLLEGE IN 1928, GRADUATING WITH MAXIMUM TIME, AND SPECIALISED IN GUNNERY EARLY IN HIS CAREER. WHEN THE SECOND WORLD WAR BROKE OUT HE WAS SERVING IN THE BATTLESHIP HMS REVENGE. IN 1941 HE JOINED THE LIGHT CRUISER HMAS HOBART AS GUNNERY OFFICER, AND SERVED IN THE SAME CAPACITY IN HEAVY CRUISER HMAS AUSTRALIA UNTIL 1944. ADMIRAL PEEK WAS AWARDED THE OBE (MILITARY) FOR HIS ACTIONS AT LEYTE GULF IN HMAS AUSTRALIA, AND THE DSC FOR SKILL AND DEVOTION TO DUTY IN ACTION AT LINGAYEN GULF.

3. FITTINGLY, ADMIRAL PEEK LED THE RAN CONTINGENT IN THE VICTORY CELEBRATIONS IN LONDON IN 1945, REMAINING TO COMPLETE STAFF COURSE. AFTER SEVERAL POSTINGS AT SEA AND ASHORE HE TOOK COMMAND OF THE FIRST FRIGATE SQUADRON AND HMAS SHOALHAVEN IN 1951 AND LATER COMMANDED THE DESTROYERS HMA SHIPS BATAAN AND TOBRUK.
DURING THE KOREAN WAR, WHILE IN COMMAND OF HMAS TOBRUK HE WAS AWARDED THE US LEGION OF MERIT. HE WAS DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL IN 1954 AND AGAIN TOOK COMMAND OF TOBRUK FROM 1956 TO 1958 AND AS CAPTAIN (D) 10th DESTROYER SQUADRON. FOUR YEARS LATER, HE COMMANDED THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER HMAS SYDNEY AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE RAN FLAGSHIP HMAS MELBOURNE.

4. IN 1964, HE WAS PROMOTED TO REAR ADMIRAL AND WAS APPOINTED FOURTH NAVAL MEMBER AND CHIEF OF SUPPLY OF THE COMMONWEALTH NAVAL BOARD, THEN DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF IN 1965 FOR TWO YEARS. ADMIRAL PEEK’S NEXT POST WAS FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING HMA FLEET IN 1967, INCLUDING OVERSIGHT OF THE FAR EAST STRATEGIC RESERVE, BEFORE HIS APPOINTMENT AS SECOND NAVAL MEMBER AND CHIEF OF NAVAL PERSONNEL IN 1968 AND THEN CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF AND FIRST NAVAL MEMBER IN NOVEMBER 1970. DURING HIS TENURE, RAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE VIETNAM WAR CAME TO AN END AND CONSIDERABLE EFFORT WAS DEVOTED TO FORCE STRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING PLANS FOR A LIGHT DESTROYER (DDL) AND A REPLENISHMENT SHIP. NAVY ALSO TOOK CHARGE OF MANNING LARGER AMPHIBIOUS CRAFT AND PERSONNEL STRENGTH REACHED ITS POST-1945 PEAK OF 17 000 MEN AND WOMEN.

5. VICE ADMIRAL PEEK RETIRED ON 23 NOVEMBER 1973 TO LIFE AS A PASTORALIST BUT CONTINUED HIS LIFELONG INVOLVEMENT IN AUSTRALIA’S NAVAL DEFENCE. HE PROVIDED EXPERT ADVICE TO PARLIAMENT AS RECENTLY AS THE 2009 WHITE PAPER DISCUSSION PROCESS AND WAS A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR NAVAL VETERANS OF ALL CAMPAIGNS.

6. VICE ADMIRAL SIR RICHARD PEEK’S PASSING MARKS THE END OF AN ERA FOR THE RAN. HE PERSONIFIED THE VALUES WE STRIVE FOR FROM THE MOST JUNIOR TO THE MOST SENIOR AMONG US – HONOUR, COURAGE, LOYALTY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY – WHETHER IN PEACETIME OR IN FACE OF THE CHALLENGES OF WAR AT SEA. FOR HIMSELF, HE NEVER FORGOT THE MEN UNDER HIS COMMAND AND THEIR WELFARE WAS AMONG HIS GREATEST CONCERNS. HE WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE QUINTESSENTIAL NAVAL OFFICER AND ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE AND RESPECTED DESTROYER CAPTAINS THE RAN HAS PRODUCED.

7. THE FAMILY OF THE LATE VICE ADMIRAL SIR RICHAR PEEK HAVE ADVISED THAT A MEMORIAL /COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE WILL BE HELD NEXT MONTH TO HONOUR THEIR LATE FATHER. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE WILL BE ADVISED SEPARATELY.
BT
DRAFTER: CAPT B.K. GORRINGE, DNSOM TO CN

RELEASED: VADM R.H. CRANE, CN