The Robson Academy of Resilience, Aircrew SERE Training Centre (ASTC) located at RAF Cranwell has another signature on its Wall of Honour.
The ASTC welcomed Peter Moore to speak to students, from across Defence who had just completed their Permissive Land Survival Course.
Originally from Lincoln, Peter graduated with a Bachelors in IT from Nottingham University in 2001, later achieving his master’s in computer science from East Anglia University, Norwich. Peter travelled the world working with non-government organisations to teach IT in foreign countries such as China, Guyana and eventually Iraq.
In 2007, working for a multinational company which specialised in emerging economies, Peter found himself working in the Ministry of Finance Data Centre, located in a university outside of the safe green zone in Baghdad. His role was to eliminate “phantom employees”, essentially preventing some Iraqi nationals from collecting multiple fraudulent salaries.
On 29th May 2007, the Interior Ministry Police stormed his workplace, arresting Peter and his security team at gun point. They were forcibly extracted by police escort and stripped of cash, clothes and identification – before being taken to a farmyard basement, where gunshots were used as a common scare tactic. Peter was then blindfolded and thrown into a truck bed, along with 2 other British security guards, his ribs cracking under the mistreatment and rough conditions.
After a 2-day journey, they were taken to an unknown location, and subjected to further questioning by a militia belonging to the Ministry of Health and Transport. Unaware of his security team’s resistance to interrogation policies, involving cover stories and false information, Peter’s information conflicted with the others’, however he fabricated a marriage in the hope of receiving empathy from his captors.
Imprisoned for months, Peter would be relocated to another holding place, meeting up with the other half of his original security team. After a year, he was again relocated and held with a couple of US private security forces. In 2009, he was isolated from other detainees and returned to the imprisonment of the Ministry of Interior. His treatment as a captive varied over the 3 years; beginning with blindfolds, chains and numerous mock executions, to being held alongside Iraqi nationals, forced to lie down for 6 months at a time, being fed only basic rice and falafel.
On 30 December 2009, after 946 days without freedom, Peter was exchanged for an Iraqi Militia Leader, and transported to the British Embassy in Baghdad. None of the 4 members from Peter’s original security team survived the ordeal, with their bodies having been repatriated to the UK.
To maintain sanity during his time as a hostage, Peter would mentally design computers, map out metro stations on the walls of his cell and even conduct interviews with his pillow. Peter’s resilience and strength under capture is an incredible example of his will to survive, never giving up in the face of hopelessness.
Peter is the epitome of the ASTC motto ‘Animus Invictus’ – Unbroken Spirit.
