The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1202) Private Roy Peters, 16th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Craig Berelle, the story for this day was on (1202) Private Roy Peters, 16th Battalion (Infantry), First World War.

1202 Private Roy Peters, 16th Battalion
KIA 11 April 1917
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 2 November 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Roy Peters.
Roy was one of three sons of Mr and Mrs Peters of Aldgate, South Australia, to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. He and his elder brother Edward enlisted within weeks of the outbreak of war, both joining the 16th Battalion.

Edward and Roy were at Gallipoli from the earliest days, and the two brothers were wounded within days of each other in early May. Edward suffered a severe compound fracture of the thigh and was evacuated to England and then Australia, never to see war again. Roy's wound - a gunshot to the left foot - was less severe, and after a period in a Cairo hospital he saw a few weeks more service on Gallipoli before being sent to the Western Front.

Arthur, the final brother to enlist, joined the 49th Battalion after hearing of Edward's fate, wanting to take his place in the trenches. Once again, two Peters boys were wounded within days of each other, when the I ANZAC Corps was fighting against German positions near Mouquet Farm in northern France. Roy was again shot in the legs, and this time was sent to England to recover. Arthur died of his wounds.

In 1917 the 16th Battalion was part of a large-scale operation against the Hindenburg Line. In the early hours of 11 April the infantry attacked near the French village of Bullecourt. The battalion followed the three tanks that had made it into the forward line in order to precede the infantry waves to provide cover. Unfortunately, the tanks, still new to warfare, broke down, and the Germans opened fire on the unprotected troops. Although the objectives were partially taken, the attack failed overall, with heavy casualties. Roy Peters was one of these casualties.

Peters was reported missing, and a court of inquiry later that year found that there was no evidence that could "throw any light on his fate; he went into action ... and his name has not appeared in any official prisoner of war list, and there is no record of his having been through any field ambulance or hospital as sick or wounded". There was little option but to return a finding that Roy Peters had been killed in action. His father was never really sure about this report, and did not consider it enough to confirm him being dead. Only one of the three Peters boys returned to Aldgate in the Adelaide Hills: Edward spent years in hospital recovering from his wounds, and never worked again.

Roy and Arthur Peters's names are listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Roy Peters, his brother Private Arthur Phillips, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.