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 Squadron Leader Peter Raw (centre) and the other two crew members of the Canberra bomber he flew during the 1953 London-to-Christchurch air race | |
| Born | (1922-06-05)June 5, 1922 Carnegie, Victoria |
| Service | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941–1978 |
| Rank | Air Commodore |
| Commands | No. 205 Group Communication Squadron RAF No. 1 Long Range Flight RAAF (1953) No. 2 Squadron RAAF (1953–1955) |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross |
Peter Raw was a pilot and officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He joined the RAAF in 1941, and served as a flight instructor, bomber pilot and the commander of a communications unit during World War II. He remained in the air force after the war, and was one of the first pilots selected to fly jet bombers. He participated in the 1953 London to Christchurch air race, and placed second. At the end of 1953 he was appointed the commander of No. 2 Squadron, which was the RAAF's first jet bomber unit, and held this position until 1955. Raw subsequently served in staff and diplomatic roles until 1965 when he took command of No. 82 Wing. Between May 1966 and April 1967, Raw served in South Vietnam as the air support coordinator for the Australian forces in South Vietnam; his initial reluctance to commit RAAF helicopters to support the Australian Army force which had been ambushed during the Battle of Long Tan generated lasting controversy. Raw served in various staff and training positions until 1972 when he was appointed the commander of RAAF Base Butterworth. He returned to Australia in 1976 and retired from the RAAF two years later.
Early career
Raw was born in the Melbourne suburb of Carnegie on 5 June 1922.
References
- Citations
- "Raw, Peter Frank". World War 2 Nominal Roll. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- Bibliography
- Clark, Chris (2007). "Task Force Air Commander". Wartime (39).
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1995). The RAAF in Vietnam. Australian Air Involvement in the Vietnam War 1962–1975. The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948–1975. Sydney: Allen and Unwin in association with the Australian War Memorial. ISBN 1863733051.
- RAAF Historical Section (1995). Units of the Royal Australian Air Force: A Concise History. Volume 3 Bomber Units. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. ISBN 0644427957.
- Herington, John (1963). Air Power Over Europe, 1944–1945. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 3 – Air. Canberra: Australian War Memorial.