General Sir Peter Edgar de la Cour de la Billière, (born 29 April 1934) is a former British Army officer who was Director SAS during the Iranian Embassy siege, and Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Operation Granby during the Gulf War.
Early years
Peter de la Billière was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Claude Denis Delacour de la Billière and his wife, Frances Christine Wright ("Kitty") Lawley. On 22 May 1941 his father, who had been educated at Monkton Combe School near Bath, Somerset, was killed when his ship, , was sunk by German bombers in an attack south-west of Crete.
De la Billière was educated at St Peter's Court School, in Broadstairs, Kent, and Harrow School.
Military career
De la Billière originally enlisted as a private in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1952. After his initial tour with 22 SAS, he returned to the Durham Light Infantry to run recruit training, before taking up the post of Adjutant of 21 SAS – the London-based Territorial Army (reserve) SAS regiment.
After this tour, de la Billière re-attended Staff College, and, this time, passed. After Staff College he was posted as G2 (intelligence) Special Forces at Army Strategic Command. He then served a tour as second-in-command of 22 SAS, of which he was Commanding Officer from 1972 to 1974.
De la Billière then served from 1977 in a number of administrative posts assuming command of the British Army Training Team in Sudan before returning to the regiment as Director SAS in 1979. For the next four years he commanded SAS Group with overall responsibility for military command. It was during this period that the Special Air Service Regiment became publicly known as a consequence of their storming of the Iranian Embassy in 1980. He was also responsible during the Falklands War for planning Operation Mikado. In 1982, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Regular service commands
After the SAS, de la Billière was appointed Military Commissioner and Commander of British Forces in the Falkland Islands from 1984 and General Officer Commanding Wales District from 1985. In 1987 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB). He was General Officer Commanding South East District from 1988. In August 1991, de la Billière received Canada's Meritorious Service Cross.
By the end of his career, de la Billière had risen to the rank of general, and became a special adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence on Middle East military matters. To enable him to receive the pension benefits of full general, he was given the newly created sinecurist (honorarium) post, of Middle East Advisor to the Secretary of State for Defence.
De la Billière has written or co-authored 18 books, including an autobiography, a personal account of the Gulf War and a number of works about the SAS.
Personal life
In 1965, he married Bridget Constance Muriel Goode. They have one son and two daughters.