Lieutenant Peter D H Street

Peter Dennis Hawes Street was born in 1921 and enlisted as a Private soldier into the Gordon Highlanders (TA) at London on the 5 April 1939 and was then posted to the 2nd Battalion.

He was called up for Regular Service on the 2 September 1939, but after over a year’s service stationed in the UK he volunteered for the Commando’s and was posted to No 2 Commando on the 22 November 1940. Three days later he was promoted to Lance Corporal!

On the 4 March 1941 he was posted to No 9 Commando, and then just over a month later he was posted to 163 Officer Cadet Training Unit. He successfully completed the Officer training and was granted an Emergency Commission, as a Second Lieutenant in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and was posted to their 5th Battalion on the 2 August 1941.

In September 1941 he volunteered for Airborne Forces and was posted to the 2nd Parachute Battalion on the 30 December 1941.

He completed parachute course No 9, at RAF Ringway, 2 to 14 March 1942, by carrying out 2 balloon and 5 aircraft descents.

Peter Street was granted the War-Substantive rank of Lieutenant on the 1 October 1942, but was tragically killed in a parachuting accident just a few days later on the 9 October 1942.

He was taking part in a parachuting exercise with the USAAF’s 60 Group, who were training the 1st Parachute Brigade in the use of their Dakota aircraft. The difference in the jumping techniques from the old converted bombers of the RAF made this a necessary task, but unfortunately the static lines of the British ‘X’ type parachutes were too short for the Dakota and it caused problems in deployment. It was later found that some of the canopies became fouled on the tail-planes of the aircraft, raising the tail just prior to jumping helped to minimise the risk. A total of 4 men were killed on this training exercise.

The Son of Roland Francis and Edith Lawson Street, of Staines, Middlesex, he is buried in Tidworth Military Cemetery, Section E (Officers), grave 168.