Military service
Burial/memorial information
Son of Frederick and Bertha Hamilton Peters of Nelson, British Columbia.
Brother of Lieutenant Gerald Hamilton Peters and Private John Franklyn Peters, both died while serving with the Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment).
Frederick Thorton was son of the Attorney General and the first Liberal Premier of Prince Edward Island. He was educated at St. Peter's Private School, later went to school in Victoria, British Columbia, and from there to Naval School in England. He graduated as a midshipman and three years later he received his commission as a sub-lieutenant. During the First World War he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order, the first ever given to a Canadian, and the Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry in action. Following the action which earned him the Victoria Cross, he was proceeding to England when the plane he was in crashed and he was killed. He has no known grave, but his name appears on the Naval Memorial at Portsmouth, England.
<p>Victoria Cross - The citation in the London Gazette of 14th May, 1943, reads:<br />Captain Peters was in the suicide charge" by two little cutters at Oran. The "Walney" and "Hartland" were two ex-American coastguard cutters which were lost in a gallant attempt to force the boom defences in the harbour of Oran during the landings on the North African coast. Captain Peters led his force through the boom in the face of point-blank fire from shore batteries, destroyer and a cruiser - a feat which was described as one of the great episodes of naval history. The "Walney" reached the jetty disabled and ablaze, and went down with her colours flying. Blinded in one eye, Captain Peters was the only survivor of the seventeen men on the bridge of the "Walney". He was taken prisoner but was later released when Oran was captured. On being liberated from the gaol, he was carried through the streets where the citizens hailed him with flowers. He earned the D.S.O. and D.S.C. in the last war. </p><p>Distinguished Service Order (George V), London Gazette 30 March 1915, Distinguished Service Cross (George V), London Gazette 8 March 1918 and Bar -London Gazette 11 July 1940. British War Medal, Victory Medal, 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with Bar (North Africa 1942-43) 1939-45 Medal, Distinguished Service Cross (USA).</p>
Digital gallery of Captain Frederick Thornton Peters
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Photo of Frederick Thornton Peters
Frederick Thornton "Fritz" Peters, 1889-1942. Photo when he was about 50. -
Photo of Frederick Thornton Peters
F.T. "Fritz" Peters, VC, a photo from the family collection. Fritz was among the most decorated Canadians in WWI and WWII. He served with the Royal Navy and in Navy Intelligence. -
Photo of Frederick Thornton Peters
Frederick Thornton Peters, VC, (1889-1942)and a girlfriend in England. Circa 1941. Photo from the family collection. Mailed to his mother by the lady after the war. F.T. Peters was never married and had no children. His two brothers died in action WWI. His sister, Mary Helen Dewdney (1887-1976)was my grandmother. -
Family photo
From left: F.T. Peters' sister Mary Helen Dewdney, mother Bertha Peters, niece Dee Dee Dewdney McBride, and niece Eve Dewdney Fingland. c. 1930. -
Photo of Frederick Thornton Peters
Frederick Thornton Peters, VC as a young man. This was probably taken in the years immediately before the First World War. Peters won numerous medals for bravery in both the First and Second World War, serving in the Royal Navy and Naval Intelligence. -
Newspaper clipping
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Letter to family, p.1
Letter from F.T. Peters to his family in 1942. -
Letter to family, p.2
Page 2 of a letter from F.T. Peters to his family in 1942. -
Letter to family, p.3
3rd page of a letter from F.T. Peters to his family in 1942. -
Letter to family, p.4
Last page of a letter from F.T. Peters to his family in 1942. -
Medal
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Press Clipping
From: F. Gordon Roe, "The Bronze Cross" (London : Gawthorn, 1945) page 73 -
Photo of Frederick Peters
Frederick was remembered in the Prince Edward Island Command's, Royal Canadian Legion Wartime Service Booklet. -
Newspaper Clipping
news article shortly after World War 2 announcing that mountains near Nelson, B.C. were to be named after Victoria Cross winners Fritz Peters and Hammy Gray -
Newspaper Clipping
British newspaper article about DSO presented to Fritz by King George V -
Telegram
Telegram notifying mother of Fritz's death -
Letter
Letter from General Eisenhower about awarding the Distinguished Service Cross to F.T. Peters for "extraordinary heroism in the attack on Oran". -
Apology Letter
Letter apologizing for the Victoria Cross being sent to Fritz's mother in the regular mail rather than in a ceremony. -
Photo of Frederick Peters
Fritz and his lady friend Dorothy -
Letter from Fritz (pages 1 and 4)
page 1 and 4 of 1916 letter from Fritz mentioning his two brothers who had recently died in the Great War. -
Letter from Fritz (pages 2 and 3)
page 2 and 3 of 1916 letter from Fritz mentioning his brothers Gerald and Jack who had recently died in the Great War. -
Photo of Frederick Peters
Fritz in a photo that was probably taken soon after he enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1905 -
Newspaper clipping
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Newspaper clipping
news of receiving DSO from King George the Fifth -
Newspaper Clipping
newspaper report of posthumous presentation of his U.S. Distinguished Service Cross medal in February 1944 -
Distinguished Service Cross
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Cenotaph
Barrie Military Park, Canadian Victoria Cross Recipients, Cenotaph -
Memorial
Remembering brothers lost … Brothers In Arms Memorial, Zonnebeke, BE … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens … May 2022
Digital gallery of
Captain Frederick Thornton Peters
In the Books of Remembrance
Commemorated on:
Page 615 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
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PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Hampshire, United Kingdom
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