Peter Phipps

Vice Admiral Sir Peter Phipps, (7 December 1908 – 18 September 1989) was a senior officer of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from the 1940s to 1960s.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Phipps served with the Royal Navy and then RNZN during the Second World War. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in 1941 for his service as commander of an anti-submarine trawler in English waters. He later served in the Solomon Islands and for his part in the sinking of a Japanese submarine at Guadalcanal, he was awarded a bar to his DSC and the United States of America awarded him the Navy Cross, their second highest award for valour. In the postwar period, he was seconded to the Royal Navy for a time and also commanded the cruiser HMNZS Royalist. Phipps was the first New Zealander to reach the rank of vice admiral in the RNZN. He was also served as Chief of Naval Staff and the first Chief of Defence Staff. He was killed in a car accident in 1989.

Early life Born on 7 December 1908 in Sydney, Australia, Peter Phipps was the son of Fanny Seymour . His mother had married Claude Seymour. He was raised in Christchurch. After completing his education at Christchurch Boys’ High School in 1926, he found employment at the National Bank of New Zealand.

Developing an interest in the sea following sailing trips with Scott, Phipps joined the Sea Scouts. He took part in a voyage from Christchurch to Wellington aboard the light cruiser HMS Chatham

In late 1941 Phipps transferred to the newly formed Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and appointed commander of HMNZS Scarba, one of four Isles class minesweeping trawlers purchased for New Zealand. After an initial period of time spent doing escort duties, the Scarba left British waters in March 1942 as part of a convoy bound for Canada, before travelling onto New Zealand, where it arrived on 4 August 1942. Phipps then became the commanding officer of HMNZS Moa, another minesweeper vessel but of the Bird-class. At the time, the morale of the crew was low but Phipps soon improved their spirits and overall efficiency. The Moa was part of the RNZN's 25th Minesweeping Flotilla which, served in Noumea from September to December. However Moa was detached for some of this time doing escort duties around Norfolk Island. On 9 December 1942, the flotilla was sent to support the Allied operations in the Solomon Islands.

Service in the Solomons The flotilla was initially used in anti-submarine patrols around Guadalcanal's Cape Esperance and on 29 January 1943, Moa along with her sister ship Kiwi, sank the Japanese submarine I-1 which was supporting Operation Ke during the Guadalcanal Campaign. Both ships were patrolling at Guadalcanal and Kiwis depth-charge attack brought the submarine to the surface. She attempted to escape but was rammed by Kiwi while Moa continued to provide illumination with star shells. Moa pursued and pressed home the attack upon the I-1, which eventually ran aground on a reef. Two days later, Moa attacked Japanese landing barges, sinking one of them. Phipps was awarded a bar to his DSC and the United States Navy Cross for these actions.

In April 1943, Moa was sunk when it was attacked while refueling at Tulagi Harbour, by Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers. The attack killed five seamen and wounded another 15. One of the wounded was Phipps, who had a bomb penetrate the roof of his cabin and pass through the floor where it exploded beneath him. He received shrapnel injuries and also broken bones in his ankles. His injuries were such that he returned to New Zealand to convalesce. After 12 months of recovery, he was promoted to commander and appointed to lead the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla, still in the Solomon Islands. His vessel, HMNZS Matai, was the lead ship up until December 1944, at which time he switched to HMNZS Arabis. Under his command, the flotilla built a reputation for efficiency and good work. He was the New Zealand Government's representative at the surrender of the Japanese forces in Nauru and Ocean Island. having previously been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) in the 1962 New Year Honours. Shortly before his retirement on 30 June 1965, he was promoted to vice admiral.

Later life In his retirement, Phipps lived in the Marlborough Sounds. He was involved in the directorship of a few companies but spent most of his time sailing and breeding geckos native to New Zealand. In 1983 his wife, Jessie , who he had married in 1938, died. Four years later, he was married again, to Olwen Jones. He died in a car crash on 18 September 1989. He was survived by his second wife and three children from his first marriage.