Dunkerley, Piers, 1921-1959

"Piers Dunkeley was a pupil at South Lodge [Benjamin Britten's prep school] (1930-4). During the 1930s Britten and Dunkerley kept up a regular correspondence and it was to Britten that Dunkerley often turned for advice. On leaving school he joined the Royal Marines, during the war serving as captain; he was wounded and taken prisoner during the 1944 Normandy landings. After the war he continued his career as a professional soldier and remained intermittently in touch with Britten. In the late 1950s he returned to civilian life (he found employment with a firm of coal merchants) and was engaged to be married. Dunkerley's marriage plans fell through and it was this disappointment, perhaps, coupled with difficulties in accommodating himself to civilian life after so many years in the armed forces, that led to his tragic suicide in June 1959." (Philip Reed, in Mervyn Cooke, Britten: 'War Requiem' (1996), p. 48.)

Epithet: Royal Marine and dedicatee of Britten, 'War Requiem'

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000001569.0x0003df