Peter was born in Wembley and after some years in England and Wales, the family moved to Edinburgh, where he and his identical twin brother attended George Watson's College. At the age of l6 Peter enrolled at Edinburgh University Medical School, graduating in November 1937. He, then worked as a House Physician at Eastern General and Northern General Hospitals and at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary until war broke out, when he returned to Edinburgh as clinical assistant to a Dr Alexander, Anatomy Demonstrator.
In February 1940 Peter was called up and went for two weeks training in Leeds before being posted to the 146 field Ambulance Unit with the R.A.M.C.. The Germans were invading South Norway and bombing troops in Andalsnes. The F.S.A. Unit arrived five days before the troops were withdrawn and spent the days hiding in birchwoods. A ship then arrived to evacuate the men and take them to Scapa Flow.
From 1940 until 1942 Peter's unit was sent to Akureyri and Seydisfjord in Iceland to help prevent the possible invasion of Iceland and in 1943 he was promoted to Major and sent to Caithness to train other soldiers. Later Peter was moved to 128 Field Ambulance in Sussex in preparation for the invasion of Normandy.
On 23rd June, 1944, Peter and his unit landed on Sword beach and after living in a ditch for a few days, they joined the Guards Armoured Division, who had arrived with tanks, and went with the advance party round the East of Caen to deal with casualties. The Germans held on to Caen until July l8th, the French were friendly and casualty stations were set up in barns, tents and sheds. By the end of August the Germans had retreated and British troops advanced quickly through France, across the Seine and into Belgium.
On September 3rd, Peter had collected two wounded Guardsmen and trying to find S. Pietre Hospital in Brussels in deserted streets at 2.00 a.m., arrived at Etterbeck Hospital. The door was shut, but eventually opened by a group of men brandishing Sten guns and stick grenades. Peter said "je suis Anglais" and minutes later was welcomed in as "Le premier Anglais"! and taken on a ceremonialb Liberation tour of the hospital by Dr Leo Dejardin, the Senior Surgeon. After a few days in Brussels, Peter went with his unit and the Irish Guards to Beringen and Arnheim, where the Germans were holding the bridges. Many lives were lost and Peter himself was admitted to, hospital for six weeks. On being recalled to the U.K., as the war in Europe came to an end, he was sent to the North West frontier in India, where he worked in the hospital at Rawalpindi until the atomic bomb on Hiroshima ended the war with Japan. Although this happened in August 1945, it was not until January 1946 that Peter's war service ended and he was able to come home. By then many of the jobs he would have liked to apply for had been filled.
Peter returned to Edinburgh and eventually got a job (as Senior Registrar) at Leicester Royal Infirmary, where he remained for some years. He then returned to Edinburgh to take the D.P.H. course and moved into the field of Preventive and Social Medicine. He was appointed Lecturer in Preventive Medicine at Sheffield University, later becoming Senior Lecturer and became involved in various research projects and also in teaching medical and nursing students, Health Visitors and Social Workers. Peter was an excellent teacher and well liked by all his students. He was intelligent, had a phenomenal memory, a witty delivery and a wide knowledge of his subject.
Peter married in 1963 and had three children, a son and two daughters. His son was badly affected by Pertussis and Smallpox vaccinations and Peter spent much time in researching the effects of vaccination. These vaccines were later withdrawn, but his son has remained handicapped for life. His daughters were not given the same vaccines and have gone on to successful careers and marriage Peter accumulated material on this subject which hopefully someone else might make use of.
Peter retired at the age of 65 and moved to Norfolk, where he enjoyed gardening, beach walks and family life. Friends found him always interesting and amusing. He suffered a stroke suddenly at the age of 89, became very incapacitate and had to move into a local nursing home, where he died aged 94. His final years were a great struggle, he lost interest in life and just wanted to die and be at peace like so many of his friends and relatives. Peter is buried in a peaceful situation in Catfield churchyard. He was not religious and did not believe in an after life, but in our memory he lives on as a loving husband and father, soon to be grandfather.