He joined the British army when he was in his late-teens. After training in Bassingbourn barracks (near Royston, Hertfordshire) he was posted to the 3rd Battalion the Queens regiment (AKA 3 Queens) who were stationed at Catterick Garrison (North Yorkshire) at the time.

After a four-month tour of Belfast, 3 Queens were moved down to Connaught Barracks, Dover, Kent where they did a tour of Belize in Central America (1977 just in time to stop the Guatemalan invasion), got involved with the fireman's strike (1978) and a 4 month tour of County Armagh (1979 Northern Ireland). It was here that one of Peter's friend was shot by a sniper and seriously wounded.

In the early 1980s 3 Queens moved to St Barbara Barracks, a huge garrison near Fallingbostel (Germany). This was his first time in Germany so he tried to learn the 'lingo' and make German friends.


A few months later he moved back to Borden (Hants, UK) to the SEME (School of Electrical Mechanical Engineering) where he was trained in electronics, semiconductors, single & three-phase power, batteries, motors, generators. He passed the course and changed his cap-badge to REME (Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers).

He was then posted back to Fallingbostel but this time to the Royal hussars (Armoured tank regiment). After about a year he was detached to Port Stanley (Falklands), then to Bielefeld (Germany) then to 21 Engineer Regiment (Nienburg) and finally back to Bielefeld where he saw active service in the 1st Gulf War and left the army a few months later.



A remote part of Belize that looks a bit starwars-y

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