Peter Thorne (RAF officer)

Air Commodore Peter Donald Thorne & Two Bars (3 June 1923 – 5 April 2014) was a fighter pilot and test pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF), who held diplomatic posts in Tehran and Moscow during the 1970s.

Early years
Thorne was born on 3 June 1923 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, and educated at Culford School in Bury St Edmunds.

Service
In 1941, Thorne enlisted in the RAF for service in the Second World War, and began flight training while still only 17 years old. He was promoted to flying officer in 1943, with seniority from 3 January.