Peter Phillips was born in Tiverton, Devon on 29 August 1914, the son of Mr & Mrs Royston Edward Rosevear Phillips. He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet. He was promoted to Midshipman (E) on 1 September 1933 and appointed to the Engineering Course at RN Engineering College, Keyham, on 14 September 1933. He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant (E) on 1 January 1936. Peter Phillips was promoted to Lieutenant (E) on 1 May 1938 and was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for the Submarine Course‘ on 2 January 1939.

An appointment to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE at Malta ‘for duty with Submarines‘ followed on 14 April 1939, and he was next appointed to HMS PARTHIAN as the Engineer on 15 May 1940.

It is not established when he was appointed to HMS TETRARCH as the Engineering Officer. After leaving Alexandria on 17 October 1941, TETRARCH was requested to conduct a short patrol off Cavioli Island. Her last recorded position was established with HMS P34 as being in the Sicilian Channel on 27 October 1941. No more was heard from TETRARCH and the submarine was presumed to have been lost with all hands in a minefield either in the Sicilian Channel or off the Island of Cavioli on 27 October 1941.

Peter Phillips was the husband of Katherine Mary Phillips (née Cowan) and they had been married In St Georges Church in Peverill, Plymouth on 28 April 1940. Peter Phillips is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel No. 45 Column No. 2 and on the War Memorial in Tamerton Foliot, Devon.