Captain Peter Hampson TD SBStJ Royal Engineers
The Man Peter Hampson was born on Monday 22nd July 1918 at Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire, his mother’s maiden name was Ash. Peter enlisted into the Territorial Army, Royal Engineers in about 1938 with service number 2088774 and was embodied before the start of World War II on 3rd September 1939. His service number was from a block (1842001 to 2303000) allocated to the Royal Engineers and in all probability, he served with a RE searchlight unit, as these were all transferred into the Royal Artillery at the start of the war, which Peter was. He served ‘at home’ during the conflict and during the third quarter of 1943 married Violet Lockhart Wakelin, who in 1953 became a registered nurse. They had three children, Jill C born in 1945, Stephen Robert 1949 and Andrew Thomas 1951. Following the War Peter was awarded the Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’ in Army Order 196/1946 and subsequent clasp in A/O 123/1954 as a Warrant Officer Class II having remained in the TA post war. On 22nd March 1954 aged 36 Peter was Commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery as 2nd Lieutenant, immediate Lieutenant and with new service number 435093. H was promoted to Captain on 1st October 1959 and transferred into the Royal Engineers on 25th April 1961. He then moved into the TA Reserve of Officers on 1st October 1963, and back to the RE again on 8th February 1966. This was followed by a complete reorganisation of the TA announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper from 1 April 1967, when the title Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) was adopted, that abolished the former regimental and divisional structure of the TA. On 1st April 1967 at his own request Peter reverted to the rank of Lieutenant Category III in the Derby Foresters, and back into the RE on 1st January 1969. In 1970 he was awarded the Efficiency Decoration ‘T&AVR’. On 1st April 1971 he transferred to the Prince of Wales’s Division, Notts and Derby and was restored to the rank of Captain back in the RE on 1st April 1972. Peter and Violet had separated during the intervening years, and during the second quarter of 1975 aged 57, he re-married to Joan Orrock at High Peak, Derbyshire, and became step father to Joanne, Christine and Sheila. During 1982 Peter was appointed as a Serving Brother in the Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, although his precise involvement with the organisation is not known. During his later years Peter lived at 2 Holmbank, 38 Devonshire Road, Buxton and about 2004 at 1, Birch Close, Buxton and by 2008 Norfolk Villa Residential Home, 45, Alma Road in Plymouth. Peter died on 28th August 2011 aged 93 and death was registered at Buxton.
The Story The medals awarded to Peter Hampson were acquired from E-Bay on 18th March 2020 and of interest because of the unusual double long service combination including the scarcer type T&AVR Efficiency Decoration, the first of such in this collection and the Serving Brother of St John award. The usual trawl of Ancestry.UK, London Gazette, Army Orders and wills allowed a basic biography to be pieced together. A nice group of medals to complement the double long service and TA theme.
Medal Details:
- Serving Brother of the Order of St John: Unnamed as awarded.
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
- Efficiency Decoration 'T&AVR': 1970.
- Efficiency Medal 'Territorial': 208877 GNR.P.HAMPSON. R.A.
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This page last updated 15 May 20