Gulf War POW
On Friday 17 January the College welcomed John Peters, former RAF Pilot POW and author, to speak to Year 13 pupils.
John Peters came to the world’s attention in January 1991 when his bruised and battered face flashed onto television screens around the world. On the first day of the Gulf War, a British Tornado bomber crewed by John Peters and John Nichol was shot down over Iraqi territory and the two men were captured. After four days of mental and physical torture, they were forcibly shown on Iraqi television. It was John Peters’ disfigured image that became a potent symbol of Saddam Hussein’s ruthless aggression.
John’s powerful and moving presentation focused on how he coped with both the brutal physical and mental pressure inflicted on him by his captors. His dramatic and sometimes harrowing experiences showed how individuals can sometimes overcome even their worst fears and nightmares.
John’s war was not all as he expected; it became a seven-week ordeal of torture and interrogation testing him to the absolute limit and bringing him close to death. The dramatic account of his experiences during Operation Desert Storm inspired and motivated the audience.
