Philip Lamb was born in Croydon in 1971 and after schooling in Tonbridge he attended Southampton University to read Theology as a University Cadet in the Fighter Control Branch of the Royal Air Force. After a thoroughly enjoyable first tour in East Anglia he was posted to Buchan in North-East Scotland to be Officer Commanding of the Operations Flight of a mobile tactical radar. This was followed by a return to RAF Neatishead as a Surveillance Director and subsequently a surveillance staff officer (including a 4-month detachment to the Falkland Islands) before a move to High Wycombe as a Battlespace Manager and Electronic Warfare officer within the Joint Force Air Component HQ. This tour saw Lamb deploying to Oman as part of EX SAIF SAREEA before moving direct to the UK Air Component HQ at Prince Sultan Air Base in support of operations in Afghanistan. Towards the end of his tour he returned to Prince Sultan Air Base as the UK Electronic Warfare specialist within the US Electronic Warfare Coordination Cell for OP TELIC.

Posted to HQ 16 Air Assault Brigade in 2003 as Officer Commanding the Air Manoeuvre Recognised Air Picture Flight, Lamb headed a team of RAF personnel providing tactical datalink capability to the Brigade Headquarters and its associated battlegroups. He also acted in the staff capacity of SO3 Battlespace Management and was involved with supporting crews from 9 Regiment Army Air Corps as they converted to Apache. Lamb left 16 Brigade on promotion to Squadron Leader in April 2005 to take up a post within the future capability area of the Strategy, Policy and Plans Division of HQ Strike Command, where he was responsible for capability development within the Command and Battle Management and Network Enabled Capability areas. Having completed a 4-month detachment to Helmand (CAMP BASTION) as OC 904 Expeditionary Air Wing (Forward), he was promoted Wing Commander in July 2009 and selected to undertake the Advanced Command and Staff Course at Shrivenham, where he read for an MA in Defence Studies. After graduation he was posted to the Air Staff within the Ministry of Defence into the post of Strategic Influence, where he was responsible for political, industrial and academic liaison on behalf of the Chief of Air Staff during both SDSR and the following Planning Rounds.

Lamb takes command of RAF St Mawgan in July 2012 as the Station goes from strength to strength as the centre of excellence for SERE training.