Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookns when the time came for the battn. to show what it was made of." And a comrade: "He was my fellow bomber in our platoon. There are four of us to a platoon. Although I did not actually see him fall, I know pretty well what his end was. It happened just before our platoon went over the parapet to support the other fellows who were holding the captured trench in front. There was an urgent call for bombs and bombers, and as Stan. happened to have a bandolier of bombs on him he was detailed to go with some more bombers. He was with me when he got the order, but he went to join the others a few yards further down the line. It was just in the act of getting over the parapet that he was shot; I think a machine gun caught him. At any rate it was a bullet that caused his death, not a shell.... He was one of the most popular fellows in our platoon." Peart was well known in South London as a most versatile athlete. He captained Bellenden Road L.C.C. School in cricket, football and swimming. He won the Rutherford Harris Shield, the Championship South London breast stroke swimming in 1904, the championship of Dulwich, 1904 and 1905, and played in the cricket team for the boys for East v. West at the Oval in 1905 and 1906, captaining the team in 1906. He was in the Dulwich Hamlet Reserves in the season 1910-11, when they won the Southern Suburban League Championship. He played in the first team of Honor Oak Cricket Club for several years, until he gave up playing by his doctor's orders. [Illustration: =Stanley Brace Peart.=] =PEAT, WILLIAM McDONALD=, Private, No. 10299, 2nd Battn. the Scots Guards, 2nd _s._ of Colin Peat, of 7, Roseburn Terrace, Edinburgh, formerly of Ratho, Midlothian, by his wife, Isabella, dau. of William McDonald, of Barflat, Aberdeenshire, Farmer; _b._ Edinburgh, 11 Feb. 1896; educ. Brunsfield and Roseburn Public Schools, Edinburgh; enlisted 1 Sept. 1914; went to France 16 Feb. 1915, and was killed in action by a shell near Givenchy, 14 June, 1915. He was buried along with seven of his comrades just where he fell, after a charge at Festubert, where his coy. were nearly all killed or wounded. He had been picked as reserve stretcher-bearer but did not have the opportunity of performing the duties assigned to him. =PECKHAM, BERTRAM=, Leading Stoker (R.F.R., B. 2854), 301582, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =PECKER, HENRY CYRIL=, Lieut., 3rd. attd. 1st, Battn. The Royal Scots, 4th _s._ of Major and Quartermaster George Pecker, of Workington, co. Cumberland (now on active service with the Border Regt. (T.F.)), by his wife, Alice Charlotte, dau. of Septimus Radclyffe; _b._ Shrewsbury, 8 Oct. 1894; educ. St. Bees School, where he was a member of the O.T.C., and on leaving there entered the St. Helen's Colliery Co.; joined the General Reserve of Officers of the 3rd Border Regt. as 2nd Lieut., 17 May, 1913, and on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, was drafted to the Royal Scots; went to France in Oct., was wounded at Ypres in Dec., but returned to his Regt. in March; was promoted Lieut. 29 April, and was killed in action at Hooge, by a shell, the following day, 30 April, 1915. Buried in Hooge Chateau. His school magazine wrote of him: "A keen sportsman, a charming companion, a gentleman in its fullest sense, he could not fail to win his way in his Regt., as he had done at School and in professional life." He was _unm._ [Illustration: =Henry Cyril Pecker.=] =PECKSON, JOSEPH WILLIAM=, Leading Signalman (R.F.R., Ch. B. 9055), 196514, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =PEDDEL, SYDNEY EDGAR=, Sergt., No. 8918, 5th Battn. (London Rifle Brigade) The London Regt. (T.F.), 4th _s._ of Edward James Peddel, of 33, Cardonzo Road, Caledonian Road, Holloway, N., Coach Trimmer, by his wife, Sarah Elizabeth, dau. of Isaac Salter, of Southampton; _b._ Salisbury, co. Wilts, 1 July, 1888; educ. St. James's Church School, Holloway; was employed in a city stockbroker's office; joined the L.R.B. in 1907; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; went to France 1 Nov. following; took part in several trench attacks; came home on leave 21 Feb. 1915; returned to the firing line on the 28th, and was killed in action at Ploegsteert, 10 April following, _unm._ Buried in the L.R.B. Cemetery in the wood there. 2nd Lieut. A. Bryan White wrote: "Although I had only been his platoon commander for a very short time, I have known Sergt. Peddel for many years, and feel that I have not only lost a good N.C.O. but a very old friend. He was liked and respected by every man in the battn., and would have made an excellent officer had his commission gone through sooner." Sergt. Peddel was well known in North London as an indefatigable athlete. He was a leader of the Gymnasium connected with St. James's Church, Holloway, and the possessor of several medals won in various competitions. He took part in the Territorial sports at Stamford Bridge in 1913, when the London Rifle Brigade beat the London Scottish in the Marathon in the record time of 1 hour 33 mins. 37 secs.--a remarkably fine achievement. Sergt. Peddel was then a L.-Corpl. In April, 1914, when the L.R.B. made the forced march from London to Brighton, Corpl. Peddel (to which rank he had been promoted) was pacemaker, and assisted to set up a new record for long-distance marching, the Foreign Legion's record of 50 miles in 15½ hours being easily beaten. The time occupied by the L.R.B. to do the 52½ miles was 14 hours 23 mins. (marching time 12 hours 44 mins.). Sergt. Peddel secured several prizes in L.R.B. contests. He won a silver cup in the school of arms competition 1913, bayonet v. bayonet, and another cup in the five miles race in the same year. He was also a member of the Orion Harriers, the Archway Harriers, the Crouch End Cyclist Club, and the Alexandra Park Tennis Club. [Illustration: =Sydney E. Peddel.=] =PEDDER, PERCY JAMES=, Private, No. 7759, 2nd Battn. The Border Regt., eldest _s._ of (--) Pedder; was for some time in South Africa; returned during the Balkan War, and went to Greece with the British Red Cross. On the outbreak of the European War he volunteered and joined the 2nd Border Regt.; went to France with his Regt. in the 7th Division, and was killed in action 24 Oct. 1914, while assisting a wounded comrade. Coy. Sergt.-Major Stuart Davenport wrote: "I am able to inform you from an eyewitness who was next to him when he was killed that he died a hero in a trench at a traverse.... A man was hit by a shrapnel; no one would go and help him at the moment--as shell after shell was coming in at that particular spot. Pedder went and had succeeded in bandaging him up when he was struck behind the left ear by one bullet from a shell, which penetrated his brain. He died at once and said not a word, and he was buried that night, a cross was put on his grave." He _m._ Annette (26, Palatine Road, Stoke Newington, N.), dau. of (--). |