Peter Abbott
Admiral Sir Peter Charles Abbott GBE, KCB (12 February 1942 – 28 September 2015) was a Royal Navy officer and Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom.
Sir Peter Abbott | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Peter Abbott on board Invincible class aircraft carrier | |
| Born | 12 February 1942 |
| Died | 28 September 2015 (aged 73) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1964–2001 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff Commander-in-Chief Fleet Second Flotilla HMS Ajax HMS Ambuscade HMS Chawton |
| Battles/wars | Falklands War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
| Other work | Commissioner of Commonwealth War Graves |
Early life
Abbott was born on 12 February 1942.[1] He was educated at St. Edward's School, Oxford before going on to Queens' College, Cambridge.[2]
Military career
Abbott was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1964.[3] He commanded the minesweeper, HMS Chawton, from 1972 to 1975 and then joined the staff of the Senior Naval Officer in the West Indies.[3]
He became commanding officer of the frigate HMS Ambuscade in 1976, second-in-command of the aircraft carrier HMS Bulwark in 1980 and the Chief of Defence Staff's briefer during the Falklands War in 1982.[3] He then became commanding officer of the frigate HMS Ajax as well as captain of the 1st Frigate Squadron in 1983.[3]
He became Director of Navy Plans in 1985 and, having been promoted to rear admiral, he was appointed Flag Officer, Second Flotilla in 1989.[3] He was made Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in 1991 and, having been promoted to vice admiral, was appointed Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic in 1993.[3] He became Commander-in-Chief Fleet and, having been promoted to admiral in 1995, he became Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in 1997.[3]
Later life
In retirement, Abbott was made Chairman of the Trustees of the Royal Naval Museum.[4] He was also President of MSSC, governing charity of the Marine Society and the Sea Cadets.[5]
Honours and decorations
_Ribbon.png.webp){kind=small} | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) | 1999[8] |
 | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) | 1994[9] |
 | Officer of the Legion of Merit | (United States) 1995[10] |
References
- "Abbott, Adm. Sir Peter (Charles)". Who's who 1998 : an annual biographical dictionary. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1998. ISBN 0312175914.
- Queens' College e-bulletin for the 1960 Anniversary Celebration Invitation Dinner Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Admiral Sir Peter Abbott Archived 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Debretts
- Royal Naval Museum
- MSSC – Who's who
- "Abbott". The Telegraph. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
- "Admiral Sir Peter Abbott - obituary". 20 October 2015. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- "No. 55354". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1998. p. 5.
- "No. 53696". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1994. p. 2.
- Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hugo White |
Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff 1991–1993 |
Succeeded by John Brigstocke |
| Preceded by Sir Peter Woodhead |
Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic 1993–1995 |
Succeeded by Sir Ian Garnett |
| Preceded by Sir Hugo White |
Commander-in-Chief Fleet 1995–1997 |
Succeeded by Sir Michael Boyce |
| Preceded by Sir John Willis |
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff 1997–2001 |
Succeeded by Sir Anthony Bagnall |
| Heraldic offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir Patrick Hine |
King of Arms of the Order of the British Empire 2011–2015 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Fulton |