Air Commodore Peter Cribb CBE, DSO, DFC (RAF Retired)

Air Commodore Peter Cribb speaks to the launch of Tom Scotland's book Voice From The Stars "A Pathfinder's Story" at the RAAF Aviation Museum, Bull Creek, Western Australia, Sunday 24 November 1991. http://www.writerspen.com.au

A BIO - Peter Henry Cribb was born in Menston, Yorkshire in 1918, educated at King Henry's School and joined the Royal Air Force as an officer cadet in the 1930s, attending the RAF College at Cranwell. Married on the outbreak of war to Patricia Walter, he became a distinguished bomber pilot, making more than 100 raids over enemy territory. He took part in the Tirpitz raids in 1942, was recruited by AVM Don Bennett as one of the leaders of the newly-formed Pathfinder Force, and served as a pathfinder and Master Bomber on raids over Europe.

Peter served with 58 Squadron, 104 Squadron, 35 Squadron, the Bomber Development Unit, commanded 582 Squadron and the Pathfinder Wing at Little Staughton, Lincolnshire. He flew most types of bomber aircraft, including the Lancaster, Halifax, Whitley, Wellington and Mosquito. He recalls his final raid was to bomb the SS Barracks at Hitler's retreat at Berchtesgarten.

Peter won 2 DSOs, 2 DFCs, the DFM, the CBE and other decorations. He was the only one of his Cranwell class to survive the war.

After the war he commanded RAF stations at Salbani in India and Oldenburg, Ahlhorn and Gutersloh in Germany and was Senior Air Staff Officer in Aden, followed by a stint flying a "mahogany bomber" as Director of Joint Warfare at the Air Ministry. He served with the RAF until 1966, attaining the rank of Air Commodore and helping to draft the White Paper that led to Britain's strategy of nuclear deterrence.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• http://www.writerspen.com.au
• Air Commodore Peter Cribb
• RAF Pathfinders
• Tom Scotland
• Voice From The Stars