Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Memorial – Remembering brothers lost … Brothers In Arms Memorial, Zonnebeke, BE … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens … May 2022

Photo of Frederick Peters – Fritz in a photo that was probably taken soon after he enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1905

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.

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.

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.

Newspaper clipping – news of receiving DSO from King George the Fifth

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.

Photo of Frederick Thornton Peters – Frederick Thornton "Fritz" Peters, 1889-1942. Photo when he was about 50.

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.

Photo of Frederick Peters – Fritz and his lady friend Dorothy

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.

Newspaper clipping

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

Newspaper clipping

Newspaper Clipping – newspaper report of posthumous presentation of his U.S. Distinguished Service Cross medal in February 1944

Medal

Distinguished Service Cross – The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Captain Frederick Thornton Peters, Royal British Navy, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while in command of the ship carrying Landing Forces of the United States Army into the harbor of Oran, Morocco, in the early morning of 8 November 1942. Captain Peters distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism against an armed enemy during the attack on that post. He remained on the bridge in command of his ship in spite of the fact that the protective armor thereon had been blown away by enemy shell fire and was thereby exposed personally to the withering cross fire from shore defenses. He accomplished the berthing of his ship, then went to the forward deck and assisted by one officer secured the forward mooring lines. He then with utter disregard of his own personal safety went to the quarter-deck and assisted in securing the aft mooring lines so that the troops on board could disembark. At that time the engine room was in flames and very shortly thereafter exploded and the ship turned on its side and sank. General Orders: Allied Force Headquarters, General Orders No. 19 (November 23, 1942) Action Date: November 8, 1942 Service: Foreign Rank: Captain

Cenotaph – Barrie Military Park, Canadian Victoria Cross Recipients, Cenotaph