Sir Peter Duffell was commissioned into the 2nd Gurkha Rifles in 1960. As a young company commander he was awarded the Military Cross leading Gurkhas in clandestine operations against Indonesia in the 60's.

Military service took him from Malaya to Whitehall and from subaltern to Lieutenant General with much campaigning in between. General Duffell was Commander British Forces in Hong Kong between 1989 and 1992 before becoming the British Army's Inspector General.

On retirement he subsequently worked commercially for 20 years in London, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, Moscow and elsewhere. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Foyle Foundation Trustee and was for several years a member of the Advisory Board of the School of Oriental and African Studies.