General Sir Peter Edgar de la Cour de la Billière, (born 29 April 1934) is a former British Army officer who was Director SAS during the Iranian Embassy siege, and Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in Operation Granby (the Gulf War). Early years Peter de la Billière was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Claude Denis Delacour de Labillière and his wife, Frances Christine Wright ("Kitty") Lawley. On 22 May 1941 his father, who had been educated at Monkton Combe School near Bath, Somerset, was killed when his ship, , was sunk by German bombers in an attack south-west of Crete. De la Billière was educated at St Peter's Court School, in Broadstairs, Kent, and Harrow School. A "Peter de la Billière" is mentioned as pupil evacuee of St Peter's Court sent to Crediton, Devon in Our Land at War by Duff Hart-Davis. Military career De la Billière originally enlisted as a private in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1952. He was later commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Durham Light Infantry. During his early career as an officer he served in Japan, Korea and Egypt with the regiment's 1st Battalion. Special Air Service Regiment In 1956, de la Billière attended and passed Selection for the Special Air Service. During his first SAS tour, he served in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency, as well as Oman where he was mentioned in despatches and was awarded the Military Cross in 1959 for leading a troop in the assault on Jebel Akdar. After his initial tour with 22 SAS, he returned to the Durham Light Infantry to run recruit training, before taking up the post of Adjutant of 21 SAS – the London-based Territorial Army (reserve) SAS regiment. In 1962, he was attached to the Federal Army in Aden. In 1964, he failed Staff College but was appointed Officer Commanding A Squadron 22 SAS. From 1964 to 1966, A Squadron 22 SAS was deployed to Borneo where he was second-in-command of the regiment for the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation. For his actions during this period he was awarded a bar to his Military Cross. After this tour, de la Billière re-attended Staff College, and, this time, passed. After Staff College he was posted as G2 (intelligence) Special Forces at Army Strategic Command. He then served a tour as second-in-command of 22 SAS, of which he was Commanding Officer