Peter Ratcliffe
Peter Ratcliffe | |
---|---|
![]() Peter Ratcliffe during the Dhofar Rebellion | |
Nickname(s) | Billy |
Born | 1951 Salford, Greater Manchester,England |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service | 1970–1997 |
Rank | Major |
Unit | Special Air Service Parachute Regiment |
Battles/wars | Operation Banner Dhofar Rebellion Falklands War Gulf War |
Awards | Distinguished Conduct Medal Mentioned in Despatches |
Other work | Author |
MajorPeter Ratcliffe,DCM(born 1951) is a formerBritish Armysoldier and commissioned officer who served in theParachute Regimentand theSpecial Air Servicein a career of almost thirty years, during which he was awarded theDistinguished Conduct Medalfor gallantry in action during theGulf War.He is the author of the bookThe Eye of the Storm(2000).
Early life
[edit]Ratcliffe was born in 1951 and spent his childhood years inSalford, Greater Manchester,where as a teenager he was an apprenticed plasterer.[citation needed]
Military career
[edit]Ratcliffe joined the British Army'sParachute Regimentin January 1970 as private 24180996. He served with the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment onOperation BannerinNorthern Irelandin 1971–72, before transferring to theSpecial Air Service Regimentin 1972. He was attached to the22 SAS,seeing service with its 18 (Mobility) Troop, 'D' Squadron.
During his time in the SAS he saw active service in a number of conflicts, including theDhofar RebellioninOman,The Troubles,theFalklands War,for which on 8th October 1982 he wasMentioned in Dispatches,[1]andOperation Granbyin theGulf War.
During the latter conflict, Ratcliffe was theRegimental Sergeant Majorof 22 SAS,[2]and received an order to assume command of its 'A' Squadron in a highly unusual circumstance of a non-commissioned officer replacing an officer in a command position. He subsequently led the squadron on a raid behind enemy lines against anIraqi Armycommunications facility code-named by the British "Victor Two", for which he was afterwards awarded theDistinguished Conduct Medalfor gallantry in action.[3][4]
Ratcliffe received a commission in 1992,[5]and was promoted to captain in 1994.[6]After completing his career as a training officer with23 Special Air Service Regiment,he retired from the British Army after almost thirty years' service with the rank of major in 1997.[7][8]
Post-military activities
[edit]Ratcliffe published a memoir of his military career entitledEye of the Stormin 2000. He has been critical of other published works by former SAS personnel, specifically "Andy McNab"and"Chris Ryan",claiming that they have damaged the reputation of the regiment by fabricating elements of their war experiences in published works for monetary gain.[9]
Ratcliffe has also publicly voiced concern about the provision ofpost traumatic stresssupport by the British Government to former soldiers of the British Army, following a number of high-profile suicides by former SAS soldiers after their military service careers.[10]
Publications
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Page 12856 | Supplement 49134, 8 October 1982 | London Gazette | The Gazette".www.thegazette.co.uk.Retrieved23 July2023.
- ^'Q & A with Michael Asher', 'Elite UK Forces', 2008.http://www.eliteukforces.info/articles/michael-asher-q+a.php
- ^"No. 54763".The London Gazette(Supplement). 13 May 1997. p. 5628.
- ^'SAS & the North, not quite setting the record straight', 'Independent.ie', 6 November 2000.https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/sas-and-the-north-not-quite-setting-the-record-straight-26103504.html
- ^"No. 53184".The London Gazette(Supplement). 26 January 1993. p. 1374.
- ^"No. 53868".The London Gazette(Supplement). 6 December 1994. p. 17051.
- ^"No. 54958".The London Gazette(Supplement). 25 November 1997. p. 13203.
- ^Norton-Taylor, Richard (5 October 2000)."SAS author attacks war accounts".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved23 July2023.
- ^'The Real Bravo Two Zero', Channel 4 Television (2003).
- ^'S.A.S man in suicide fall rang former colleague to say farewell', 'Daily Telegraph', 13 January 2002.[1]
- ^"Book info".Archived fromthe originalon 1 June 2008.Retrieved29 July2008.
- ^Ratcliffe, Peter (2001).Little Book of the SAS.Michael O'Mara Books, Limited.ISBN978-1854798879.
- 1951 births
- Living people
- Military personnel from Manchester
- Special Air Service soldiers
- Special Air Service officers
- British Parachute Regiment soldiers
- Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal
- British non-fiction writers
- British Army personnel of the Falklands War
- Military personnel from Salford
- British military personnel of the Dhofar War
- British Army personnel of the Gulf War
- British male writers
- 20th-century non-fiction writers
- British male non-fiction writers