Peter joined the Territorial Army in 1985. In 1996 he was called up to serve with the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia and later the Stabilisation Force (SFOR). During his service he was able to observe the impact of three and a half years of bitter conflict in Bosnia.
Peter joined the Territorial Army in 1985 and currently holds the rank of Major. He is also an expert in military history. He has published several books and works as a lecturer, defence analyst, battlefield tour guide and broadcaster.
In 1996 Peter was called up by the Territorial Army to serve with the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia. He was first based in Sipovo in central Bosnia.
During his service Peter was able to observe the aftermath of the war in Bosnia. He recorded his thoughts in a series of letters to the Imperial War Museum. His letters provide a valuable insight into post-war Bosnia and the challenges of serving with a multi-national force.
‘Recognising the ranks of friendly IFOR troops is a nightmare: the permutations of stars, stripes, crowns and oak leaves are endless…’
While driving around Bosnia, Peter noted that some parts of country resembled the battlefields of the First World War.
‘I often drove past confrontation lines resembling Ypres or the Somme in 1919-20 [but] abandoned here only last October.’
The devastating impact of the war on the civilian population was evident everywhere.
‘The wanton destruction of homes and villages is initially distressing – either by battle damage, or ethnic cleansing. In Sipovo, where I am based, all shops were gutted and looted, and most houses at least lost their roofs.’
And the extent of ‘ethnic cleansing’ was apparent in Bosnia’s ruined landscape.
‘Ethnic cleansing is staggering by its scale. Every village has some houses burnt, formerly the homes of one minority or other…Battle damage is random, but ethnic cleansing is worse because it’s systematic.’
In Sarajevo, barely a tree had survived the siege.
‘Sarajevo is full of reminders of the war – every tree and bush was chopped down for firewood during the siege…’
Weapons were still easily available in Bosnia even after the war.
‘…Two or three machine guns (for ‘game-hunting’ only) per household is the norm, and hand grenades are five Deutschmarks each in the local market, next to the egg & watermelon stall.’
After IFOR was replaced with SFOR (Stabilisation Force) Peter was asked to join the Commander-in-Chief’s staff as a Corps Historian. He spent Christmas 1996 in Sarajevo.
‘This is the first Christmas the Sarajevans will enjoy since 1991.’
‘Every village has some houses burnt, formerly the homes of one minority or other…’
Peter also had the opportunity to hear accounts from local people about their experiences of the war.
‘One of our interpreters told me the story of her sister and her camel coat…She ran out of fuel to heat her house…to provide warmth, she decided to burn her best camel coat…her face was wet with tears all weekend whilst it burned – it was her last luxury, the final link with civilisation…’
Peter returned home in February 1997.
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