Peter Abbott

{{Short description|Royal Navy Admiral (1942–2015)}}

{{For|the footballer|Peter Abbott (footballer)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{Infobox military person

|honorific_prefix = Admiral

|name= Sir Peter Abbott

|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GBE|KCB}}

|image=Admiral Abbott on board Invincible class.jpg

|image_size=

|alt=

|caption= Then-Rear Admiral Peter Abbott on board Invincible class aircraft carrier

|birth_date= {{birth date|1942|02|12|df=y}}

|birth_place= New Delhi, British India

|death_date= {{death date and age|2015|09|28|1942|2|12|df=y}}

|death_place=

|placeofburial=

|nickname=

|allegiance= United Kingdom

|branch= Royal Navy

|serviceyears= 1964–2001

|rank= Admiral

|servicenumber=

|unit=

|commands= {{Ubl

| Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff

| Commander-in-Chief Fleet

| Second Flotilla

| {{HMS|Ajax|F114|6}}

| {{HMS|Ambuscade|F172|6}}

| {{HMS|Chawton|M1209|6}}

}}

|battles= Falklands War

|awards= {{Ubl

| 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)

}}

|relations=

|laterwork= Commissioner of Commonwealth War Graves

}}

Sir Peter Charles Abbott (12 February 1942 – 28 September 2015) was a Royal Navy officer and Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom.

Early life

Abbott was born on 12 February 1942.{{cite book|title=Who's who 1998 : an annual biographical dictionary|year=1998|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York|isbn=0312175914|chapter=Abbott, Adm. Sir Peter (Charles)}} He was educated at St. Edward's School, Oxford before going on to Queens' College, Cambridge.[http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/alumni/2010-events/1960-event Queens' College e-bulletin for the 1960 Anniversary Celebration Invitation Dinner] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607181611/http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/alumni/2010-events/1960-event |date=7 June 2011 }}

Military career

Abbott was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1964.[http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/search/results/10741/Peter%20Charles%20ABBOTT.aspx Admiral Sir Peter Abbott] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323204902/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/search/results/10741/Peter%20Charles%20ABBOTT.aspx |date=23 March 2012 }} Debretts He commanded the minesweeper {{HMS|Chawton|M1209|6}} from 1972 to 1975 and then joined the staff of the Senior Naval Officer in the West Indies.

He became commanding officer of the frigate {{HMS|Ambuscade|F172|6}} in 1976, second-in-command of the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Bulwark|R08|6}} in 1980 and the Chief of Defence Staff's briefer during the Falklands War in 1982. He then became commanding officer of the frigate {{HMS|Ajax|F114|6}} as well as captain of the 1st Frigate Squadron in 1983.

He became Director of Navy Plans in 1985 and, having been promoted to rear admiral, he was appointed Flag Officer, Second Flotilla in 1989. 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. He became Commander-in-Chief Fleet and, having been promoted to admiral in 1995, he became Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in 1997.

Later life

In retirement, Abbott was made Chairman of the Trustees of the Royal Naval Museum.{{Cite web |url=http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/about_rnmtrustees.htm |title=Royal Naval Museum |access-date=23 April 2010 |archive-date=27 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127123132/http://royalnavalmuseum.org/about_rnmtrustees.htm |url-status=dead }} He was also President of MSSC, governing charity of the Marine Society and the Sea Cadets.[http://www.ms-sc.org/whos-who MSSC – Who's who]

He died of cancer on 28 September 2015.{{cite web|url=http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/195169/abbott |title=Abbott|date= 4 October 2015|work=The Telegraph|location=London|accessdate=4 October 2015}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11943195/Admiral-Sir-Peter-Abbott-obituary.html|title=Admiral Sir Peter Abbott - obituary|date=2015-10-20|access-date=2020-04-17|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}

Honours and decorations

class="wikitable"
80pxKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE)1999{{London Gazette|issue=55354|supp=y|page=5|date=30 December 1998}}
80pxKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)1994{{London Gazette|issue=53696|supp=y|page=2|date=10 June 1994}}
80pxOfficer of the Legion of Merit(United States) 1995Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003

References