Walter Raymond Peck

Military
media-19134.jpeg UPL 19134 Brigadier General Walter Peck
Commander of the 96th Bomb Wing after returning from a mission with the 466th BG
B-24H-25-DT #42-51141 "Pegasus" Code: T9-N is the aircraft with it's tail visible in the background 466th Bomb Group collection

466th BG Historian

Object Number - UPL 19134 - Brigadier General Walter Peck Commander of the 96th Bomb Wing after returning from a mission with the 466th BG B-24H-25-DT #42-51141 "Pegasus" ...

BRIGADIER GENERAL WALTER R. PECK



Died December 24,1965



Walter Raymond Peck was born Jan. 15, 1896, in Lima, Ohio. He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., from June 1916 to January 1917 and was appointed a second lieutenant, Philippine Scouts, on March 27, 1918.



Promoted to first lieutenant, Philippine Scouts, on April 2, 1918, he moved with the 27th Infantry to Schofield Barracks Hawaii, and the following July returned to the United States to enter the Air Service Pilots School at Carlstrom Field, Fla.



Upon completing the course in December 1921, he entered the Air Service Observation School at Post Field, Fort Sill, Okla. He graduated in June 1922 and was assigned to the 41st School Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. He joined the 10th School Group at Kelly Field in August 1922 and the following December became adjutant of the 41st School Squadron at that field.



He was transferred to the 68th Service Squadron at Kelly Field in October 1923 and in July 1924 was transferred to the Third Attack Group at that same station. He became commanding officer of Schoen Field, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., in December 1925 and served in that capacity until July 1930, when he transferred to Maxwell Field, Ala., where he joined the 22nd Observation Squadron. He became post operations officer at Maxwell Field in July 1931 and two years later was named commanding officer of the 54th School Squadron at that field.



The following August he entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, and upon graduation in June 1934 went to March Field Calif., as post engineering officer. He joined the 17th Attack Group at that field in November 1934 and in July 1935 became group intelligence and operations officer. In August 1936 he became commanding officer of the 76th Service Squadron of the 19th Bombardment Group at March Field and in July 1937 was designated commanding officer of the 32nd Bombardment Squadron of the 19th Bombardment Group at that station.



In August 1939 he was named senior instructor, 41st Division Aviation, Washington National Guard at Parkwater, Wash., serving in that capacity until September 1940 when he became air base operations officer at McChord Field, Wash. He became commanding officer of the 17th Bombardment Group at McChord Field in March 1941, and the following August moved with the 17th Bombardment Group to Pendleton Field, Ore.



In February 1942 he moved with the 17th Bombardment Group to Wendover Field, Utah. He served as commanding officer of the Army Air Base Wendover Field from March 1942, until the following July when he was assigned to command the 17th Bombardment Wing at Camp Rapid, S.D. In September 1943, he was made commanding general of the Combat Crew Replacement Group in England, and in May 1944 was assigned to command the 96th Combat Bomber Wing there.



Returning to the United States in August 1945, he was assigned to Continental Air Forces headquarters at Bolling Field, D.C. In October he was named commanding general of the 462nd AAF Base Unit at Camp Pinedale, Calif. The following June he was assigned to Second air Force headquarters at Fort Crook, Neb., and was appointed deputy commanding general of the Second Air Force Oct. 15, 1946.



General Peck has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster.



He is rated a command pilot, combat observer and aircraft observer.

Connections

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Units served with

Personnel of the 458th Bomb Group gather around a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29303) nicknamed "Liberty Lib" in order to transfer a casualty into a waiting ambulance. Image via Harry Holmes. Written on slide casing: '458th BG.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Unofficial emblem of the 467th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

15 January 1896

Other

Commisioned 2nd Lt.

27 March 1918 Philippine Scouts

Died

24 December 1965

Buried

28 December 1965 Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery San Diego San Diego County California, USA Plot: A-E, 1614

Other

Graduated

U.S. Army Air Service Pilot School

Other

designated Commanding Officer

32nd Bomb Squadron - 19th Bomb Group

Other

Designated Commanding Officer

96th Combat Bomb Wing Ketteringham Hall

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian
usaf.mil
findagrave.com

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Who's Who in the Eighth Air Force and/or Biographical Directory Command & Staff Officers Eighth Air Force 1942-45

Walter Raymond Peck: Gallery (5 items)