Peter Phipps (admiral)

Vice Admiral Sir Peter Phipps, KBE, DSC & Bar, VRD (7 December 1908 – 18 September 1989) was a senior officer of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from the 1940s to 1960s.Born on 7 December 1908 in Sydney, Australia, Peter Phipps was the son of Fanny Seymour née McOwen.He took part in a voyage from Christchurch to Wellington aboard the light cruiser HMS Chatham[1] and a few years later, in 1928, he enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) as an ordinary seaman.[1] This was the anti-submarine trawler HMS Bay, part of the 24th Minesweeping/Anti-Submarine Flotilla, which operated on convoy duties in the English Channel.He had earlier been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for "For courage and devotion to duty in Channel Convoys".After an initial period of time spent doing escort duties, the Scarba left British waters in March 1942 as part of a convoy bound for Canada, before travelling onto New Zealand, where it arrived on 4 August 1942.[5][8][9] In April 1943, Moa was sunk when it was attacked while refueling at Tulagi Harbour, by Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers.He then spent 18 months on an exchange with the Royal Navy; he served as the Deputy Director of the Operations Division at the Admiralty.In September 1955, he took charge of Bellona for its voyage from New Zealand back to the United Kingdom in preparation for the exchange with Royalist.[15] He took formal command of Royalist in April 1956, having delayed its commissioning by ten days due to his dissatisfaction with its condition.[1] On 1 April 1960, Phipps, now a rear admiral, was named Chief of Naval Staff, the first New Zealander to hold the post.His appointment caused some controversy; it was tradition that an officer from the Royal Navy be named in the position but the New Zealand Government felt this may not be in the country's best interest.
The wreck of the Japanese submarine I-1 , sunk by Moa and Kiwi
HMNZS Royalist berthing at the Devonport Naval Base , December 1956
SydneyMarlboroughRoyal New Zealand NavyVice AdmiralChief of Defence StaffChief of Naval StaffHMS RoyalistHMNZS PhilomelHMNZS MoaSecond World WarKnight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireDistinguished Service CrossNavy CrossSolomon IslandsGuadalcanalUnited States of AmericaHMNZS RoyalistChristchurch Boys’ High SchoolNational Bank of New Zealandlight cruiserHMS Chathamordinary seamanHokitikaWest CoastWellingtonWellington HarbourNavy OfficeRoyal NavyconvoyEnglish Channellieutenant commanderHMNZS MoaBird-classNoumeaNorfolk IslandCape EsperanceJapanese submarine I-1Operation KeGuadalcanal Campaignstar shellsUnited StatesAichi D3Adive bomberscommanderHMNZS MataiHMNZS ArabisOcean IslandHMNZS Philomela mutiny of sailorsexecutive officercruiserHMNZS BellonaMotuihe IslandcaptainAdmiraltyHMS RoyalistDevonport Naval BaseSuez CrisisMediterranean Fleetrear admiralFirst Sea LordLord MountbattenMinistry of DefenceDean EyreMinister of Defence1964 Queen's Birthday HonoursCommander of the Order of the British Empire1962 New Year HonoursMarlborough SoundsgeckosNational Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy1939-45 StarAtlantic StarPacific StarWar Medal 1939-45New Zealand War Service MedalVolunteer Reserve Decoration1953 Coronation MedalThe London GazetteChief of the Defence StaffSir Leonard ThorntonMichael VilliersRichard Washbourn