Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

PETER JOHN THOMPSON by Ethan Apolloni 9.3

Peter John Thompson (regiment number 4589) was the son of Mary Thompson who was a widow. He was born in August 1895 in Wandilla, Mount Gambier, South Australia, and was part of the Church of England. He attended Compton Public School and Mount Gambier Public School. He was not married and was a labourer. He was 5 feet and 8 ¾ inches tall, weighed 159 pounds, had dark hair, dark complexion and his eyes were grey. He enlisted at the age of 19 on 18th of May 1915 at Keswick, SA, and his date of enlistment from the Nominal Roll was on the 16th of June 1915. His ranking was a Private for the 10th Battalion, 14th Reinforcement. His unit boarded the HMAT A28 Miltiades on 7th February 1916 in Adelaide. It is not clear why Peter enlisted. Many men enlisted because of peer pressure by friends and family, to prove that you were brave and strong. The Government advertised war as a positive event and as an adventure, and men felt obliged to help Britain who had built their country. Australia chose to help Britain as it believed that one day Germany would attack Australia and they needed to make alliances with other countries in case they needed help. Also, if you didn’t enlist you could be given a white feather and others would then view you as “cowardly”. After leaving Adelaide Peter arrived on 29th March 1916 at a training camp in Cairo, Egypt. Training was intense; 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. Conditions were difficult as it was a hot climate.

He left Egypt on 28th July to join the 10th Battalion in France. The 10th Battalion was among the first infantry units in the AIF during the First World War. The Battalion was recruited in South Australia, and together with the 9th, 11th and 12th Battalions, formed the 3rd Brigade. The 3rd Brigade came from Egypt and was the covering force for the ANZAC landing on the 25th April 1915. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, the 10th Battalion returned to Egypt, and in March 1916, sailed for France and the Western Front to continue fighting until 1917. Peter’s first posting and battle was in Boulogne, France. Boulogne is located on the northern coast of France and was used as a port for the British ships coming from England. Because of its location, this port became very important as it was a zone between Britain and France through which soldiers and supplies could flow rapidly to the fighting zones. Here the soldiers stayed until they went to the fighting zone. Peter was first shot in the leg and arm on the 1st October 1916, and was transferred to hospital in England. From the 4th to the 9th January Peter went missing and was docked 6 days pay. He was discharged on 18th January 1917. He was transferred back to France on the 15th February and was sent to the camp in Etaples. The most important base for the British Army was at Etaples, using Boulogne as its base for its service men. Troops at the base were ‘toughened up” while waiting to be sent to the front. It also included 16 hospitals. Peter was admitted back to hospital on the 3rd March with mumps. He rejoined his unit on 1st April.

Tragically, Peter was killed in action on 7th of May 1917. He received a British War medal and a Victory medal. He has no true grave site as it is not known where he was buried. There is a memorial in his name at the Australian National Memorial, and the other at Villers-Bretonneux, France. He was working in a “coy” which means company (or a group of men) in the second or third platoon. His death was brutal as told by another Private, Percy Olds who was with him when he died. Pte P Olds described in a letter that Peter was a “mate” of his and that he was dark and clean shaven. They fought together, and when Peter first got shot in the arm, Olds stopped to bandage his arm. Whilst he was doing this Peter got shot through the head. Percy then buried him in the front line and so his burial site is unknown. Olds described him as a “real gentleman in every way all the time”. Whilst at war Peter sent some of his money back to his mother, and in his will he left all his belongings to her.

Peter received two war medals: The British War Medal which was a campaign medal of the United Kingdom awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War, and The Victory Medal (also called the Inter Allied Victory Medal) which was awarded to all who received the 1914 Star or 1914-15 Star and, with certain exceptions, to those who received the British War Medal. It was never awarded alone.

ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Having the ANZAC Spirit means you have courage, determination, persistence, and resilience. It is also the value of mateship and self sacrifice, that should never be forgotten.

Peter was only 19 years old when he went to fight in the war and leave his widowed mum behind. He showed bravery and strength by traveling all the way across the world on a boat to another country to fight. Most of his service was fighting in the trenches where he stayed for long periods of time. Soldiers in the trenches were cold, hungry, tired and living in horrible conditions. They were exposed to diseases and lice. Peter would have needed the ANZAC spirit during these difficult times. He would have needed this spirit also when he was hospitalised from being shot and then sick, only to recover and return to the trenches to get killed in action. Peter’s friend Pte Olds showed the ANZAC spirit and true mateship as he took the time to bury Peter when he was sadly shot and died. Peter died fighting for his country to give us freedom, and was known as a true gentlemen till the end.