Peter Harding

Peter Harding
2 December 1933 -
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter Harding Crown Copyright
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1952 - 1994
Rank	Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Awards	GCB

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Peter Robin Harding, GCB, (born 2 December 1933) is a retired^[1] Chief of the Air Staff, and Chief of Defence Staff.

Flying career

Educated at Chingford High School he joined the Royal Air Force in 1952. He was Officer Commanding 18 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh and RAF Acklington from 1966 to 1969. After serving various other appointments he became station commander at RAF Brugen in 1974.

He became Air Officer Commanding No.11 Group in 1981, Vice Chief of the Air Staff in 1982, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1985 and Air Officer Commanding Strike Command later in 1985. He was Chief of the Air Staff from 1988 to 1992 and Chief of Defence Staff from 1993 to 1994.

Resignation

Harding resigned after it was revealed by Max Clifford and the News of the World that he had an affair with Lady (Bienvenida) Buck, the wife of Conservative MP Anthony Buck.^[1] Although Harding was a serving officer rather than a politician, the story was especially embarrassing as it coincided with a string of scandals (known, after John Major's slogan of October 1993, as "Back to Basics") associated with members of the Conservative government at that time.

Harding was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force in 1992 and since that time there have been no further promotions to the RAF's highest rank.

References

1. ^ Morgan, Piers (2002). "...As Hugh Cudlipp said...". British Journalism Review 13 (2): 19-24. ISSN 0956-4748. Retrieved on 2007-03-18. 

Footnote

1. ^  Strictly speaking, Marshals of the Royal Air Force remain on the active list even when they have, for all practical purposes, retired.

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