RAF veteran and rugby player made an MBE for his service dies aged 74

A “larger than life” serviceman who devoted his working life to the RAF has died following a long battle with cancer, aged 74.

Peter Whyte, who was better known as Chalkie, from Kingston in Moray, joined the air force immediately after leaving school when he was just 16 years old.

Over the following 39 years the keen sportsman, who played rugby for the RAF and combined services, served in both Gulf Wars and in the six-day Middle East war in 1967 – eventually being made an MBE in 1995 in recognition of his service.

The aircraft fitter, who repaired Tornadoes and Buccaneers during his career, served at bases across the country. He moved to the north-east after being posted to RAF Kinloss in the 1970s.

Former colleagues have remembered Mr Whyte as a “giant” of the air force.

The serviceman was responsible for smoothing the path of the merger of 27 Squadron into 12 Squadron as part of a move to RAF Lossiemouth in the early 1990s.

When a box of historic artefacts belonging to the former was accidentally thrown on a barbecue, Mr Whyte immediately grabbed the other group’s box and threw it on the fire too, saying “If we’re going to do this, we’ll do it properly”.

Senior officers are said to have initially attempted to retrieve the priceless heirlooms, only to have thought better of it when fixed by a single look from him.

Mr Whyte’s widow, Mary, said: “He lived to entertain. He was larger than life and broke the mould.

“His colleagues said his integrity and professionalism always shone through.”

His daughter, Sharon Brown, added: “He was loved and feared in equal measure in the RAF. Some senior officers commented on the way they were mentored by him while they were on the way up. They called his dressing downs ‘hairdryers’.”

After retiring in 1999, Mr Whyte immersed himself in his passions of golf and fishing the River Spey. He is survived by his wife, daughter and grandson Marc.

Peter ‘Chalkie’ Whyte.