17 Facts About Peter Horsley

Peter Horsley was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford, and Wellington College.

Peter Horsley transferred to the homeward-bound TSS Menelaus when the Second World War was declared, but then deserted ship.

Peter Horsley served briefly in the Home Guard before joining the RAF, initially as an air gunner, as this was the only vacancy then available.

Peter Horsley then joined 21 Squadron of 140 Wing, RAF Hunsdon, flying Mosquitoes on night fighter intruder missions over Nazi Germany.

An account of the incident, read by Peter Horsley himself, is kept in the Imperial War Museum archives.

Peter Horsley then was attached to the communications squadron of the 2nd Tactical Air Force in France, and was personal pilot to Major-General Miles Graham during the Normandy invasion.

Peter Horsley returned to the United Kingdom in 1947 and joined the staff of the Central Flying School, 23 Training Group.

Peter Horsley received a permanent commission and was appointed adjutant to the Oxford University Air Squadron in 1948.

Peter Horsley joined the Royal Household in July 1949, as a Squadron Leader, as Extra Equerry to Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

Peter Horsley was concurrently Officer Commanding 29 Squadron, RAF Tangmere, Sussex, flying Meteor IX fighters.

Peter Horsley went on to be Group Captain Near East Air Force operations based in Cyprus in 1962.

Peter Horsley attended the Imperial Defence College, and was then appointed Deputy Commandant at the Joint Warfare Establishment at Old Sarum in Wiltshire in 1966.

Peter Horsley became an Air Vice Marshal and was made Assistant Chief of Air Staff in 1968, then Commanding Officer No 1 Group in 1971.

Peter Horsley had a number of business interests after retirement from the RAF: Robson Lowe, chair; Stanley Gibbons, managing director.

Peter Horsley wrote an autobiography, Sounds From Another Room, published Leo Cooper in 1997, which described his interest in UFOs, which began when Equerry to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, and a close encounter with an "alien" in London in 1954.

Peter Horsley received the French Croix de Guerre in 1944, and the Air Force Cross in 1945.

Peter Horsley was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 1956, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1964.