Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 259

W ORLD W AR II

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR

Name PETER HOWARD STANDFAST (Pilot Off)

Lef SES 1930

Roll Number 2162 Died 15:08:1941

Set / House E

Arrive SES 1925

Where OFF BU’AYRAT AL HASUN, LIBYA Serving with 105 SQN, BOMBER CMD, R.A.F.V.R.

Age 29

Buried No Known Grave

Remembered Malta Memorial Part II, War Memorial, Holy Trinity Church, Ardington and The St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial

Born Ealing 1912, the son of a clergyman. School Prefect, Member of the School Rugby Football XV 1930, Sergeant OTC, School Play, in the Modern VIth Form. ‘He was always ready to exploit the humorous side of life - but beneath a somewhat flippant and nervous veneer, those who cared to see through it found a solid earnest character, with something dogged that fitted well with his name’ (Chronicle). When he left St. Edward’s, he went to RADA and trained as an actor 1935-9. Once war erupted he joined the R.A.F.V.R. in 1940 and trained as a Pilot. He was attached to 105 Squadron, Bomber Command, flying Blenheims and was based in Malta from 1941. From this base his squadron was charged with destroying enemy targets in the North African and the Mediterranean arenas. During one of these raids his aircraft blew up in mid-air and was lost. According to the official records of the time: - ‘The aircraft exploded during a strike on a convoy off Bu’ayrat Al Has, Libya, probably due to debris from a hit on a tanker or hit by ship’s flak’.