Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Peter was the second son of Walter Fellows and Doris Daphne Robbins, born in Unley on the 5th April 1920. His older brother was born in Sept 1918 and his sister, Barbara Gray in November ’21.
The family lived in Malvern and attended Highgate Primary. (His sister, Barbara was an exceptional academic student, topping the state in the Qualifying Certificate Exams in ’34, sat by 9,895 students.) Peter’s secondary education was at Adelaide Technical High School, and he was also involved with the Fullarton Boy Scout Group where both his mother and sister were involved on stalls for a fundraising English Country Fair. Post school, Peter then worked as a salesman while also serving in the Militia as S25918. Almost immediately Private Peter excelled in contests against the 43rd Battalion for events including the Harris Trophy. In competitions with the 43rd and 48th Harris trophy, Peter reached the final four handicap limit in February ’38 before being eliminated. The following year he gained Range Honours, recording 37 and 39 over 300 yards, described in the Advertiser as ‘brilliant shooting’.
However, with the outbreak of WWII, having just turned 20, Peter enlisted on the 1st October 1940 at Wayville where he was allocated the number SX10325 and given the rank of Lieutenant in the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. This was also announced in the Adelaide Newspapers.
Following pre-embarkation leave Peter boarded the Stratheden on the 7th November, arriving in the Middle East on the 17th December. He was unfortunate the following year to be diagnosed with jaundice and was treated in the Officers’ Hostel before rejoining his battalion and undertaking Officers’ School. During this time the fierce battle for Tobruk was underway from April to December ‘41. During this time, leaflets were dropped by the Germans urging the soldiers to surrender, rather than live in the primitive conditions ‘like rats’. Designed to affect morale, the taunt had the opposite effect, with the soldiers claiming the title Rats of Tobruk as an unofficial badge of honour.
By August ’42 Peter had the rank of Captain which he held for just three months before he was killed on the 31st October ’42 with eight others from his battalion including SX7089 Sergeant Kibby, VC, SX7695 Private E.S.J. Schubert, SX11225 Corporal J. Pitcher, SX9399 Private A.J. Noack, SX8204 Private E.W. Vivian, Sx8344 Sgt R.M. Ide, SX8385 Private G.S.R. Fowler, SX7987 Private D Whyte and SX7089 Sergeant W.H. Kibby V.C. SX8491 Private A.G. Wilson, WX10331 Rrivate P.G. Johnson and SX9488 Cpl E.L. Montgomerie.
Peter was involved in the massive attack on Trig 29 in October leading D Company in an advance up the hill. Despite capturing 38 German prisoners and accounting for many enemy, the 2/48th also suffered significant casualties, leaving Captain Peter as the only officer left in D Company. As he advanced up the gentle rise of Trig 29, the men experienced some of the nastiest fighting seen by the battalion.
Peter’s foresight in documenting details prior to going into the field of battle resulted in the awarding of the VC to Sergeant Bill Kibby. He died while destroying a nest of machine-guns and mortars which stood between the Australians and their objective. The Brisbane Telegraph in March ’43 shared ‘Sergeant Bill Kibby, VC, was another quiet man. He was 36 years old when he was killed on the night of October 30-31. He died while destroying a nest of machine-guns and mortars which stood between the Australians and their objective, after it had already killed his company commander, 22-year-old Captain Peter Robbins, of Goodwood. South Australia, and most of the men of his platoon. Before going into battle that night Peter Robbins left a document in which were the words, "And if I'm killed tonight, recommend Bili Kibby for the DCM for what he did on the 25th." On the night of October 23 D Company's attack was held up by heavy fire from automatics and mortars and No 17 Platoon was ordered to clean them up. But immediately on approach the platoon commander was wounded and the platoon driven to ground. On his own initiative Bill Kibby, went forward and eliminated the post with a tommy-gun, killing three and taking 12 prisoners. His cool, prompt courage enabled the company to reach its objective and save the lives of many.’
Towards the end of October the 2/48th attacked eastward towards Ring Contour 25. A shell landed in the middle of D Company but fortunately failed to explode. Under Captain Peter, D Company brought up the rear with the intention of ‘leapfrogging’ the leading companies. Swinging north to avoid a minefield and with fellow officers wounded, Captain Peter remained. Darren Paech in Adelaide to Alamein described how Captain Robins’ company was reduced to roughly 16 men as it approached within 50 yards of what appeared to be two low mounds with a saddle in between, believed to be Ring Contour 25. Suddenly flares whooshed up from behind one of these mounds and the survivors of D Company – lit up and caught in the open – were hit with a wall of lead. “Three Spandaus started shooting from the hump on the left and two more and a couple of 3-inch mortars from the right. At first it came in waist high, but when we went down like wet sacks, they sent the stuff skimming just over the ground,” recalled 32-year-old survivor Private Cliff Thompson. The survivors had nowhere to go. It was slaughter. Captain Robbins was killed immediately along with his batman, Private George ‘Chuck’ Fowler.’
Peter’s own heroism and leadership was also spoken with pride. SX7866 Reg Bloffwitch, in Peter’s battalion recalled the fierce, brutal fighting under Peter’s leadership. “"We swung round to take a big strong post from the rear. It bristled with mortars, and we lost a lot of men storming the place. "Our company commander. Captain Peter Robbins was doing a marvellous job. "When he approached the main post a machine-gun nest held us up. Robbins went forward with a couple of men and silenced it. "He then led us on through heavy mortar fire to the main post. "All night we fought it out with the Germans in the post. Some of us got inside the post. "A mortar bomb hit me, and I decided to walk back. "Flares were dropping all round us. It was bright as day. "On our right flank I could see Victorians battling away. "They are the 'bees' knees' those chaps. They are suffering casualties but are fighting well. "They had been in the thick of the fighting all night and were still fighting when I left.
One of the survivors, Private Cliff Thompson, reflected the camaraderie of the battalion in honouring their dead mates. “It wasn’t until two days later that we had an opportunity to go out and look for our dead. When we got to the place they had disappeared. We spent ten days searching before we found them. They were all lying together in one grave. We took them out and did the job properly, burying them in a row—Bill Kibby, Peter Robbins, Ron Ide, Doug. Whyte, Chuck Fowler, with Eric Montgomery just behind. We couldn’t say much, but I guess we all knew, every man of us, that if it hadn’t been for Bill Kibby we might have been lying there with them.”
Official War Correspondent (and later poet) Kenneth Slessor, reported on the vicious fighting and the extreme bravery of the men. “Australia is far away over the rim of the world and no one comes near the wooden crosses painted with their names except the wandering Bedouin and the little lizards of the desert. But their battalion is rich in its pride and in its memories. They will never be forgotten. From the stories of their mates, those reluctant-tongued soldiers who fixed bayonets with them in the great offensive which drove Rommel from Egypt come portraits of these men in action.’
The Advertiser early in November ’42 reported that ‘Mrs. D. D. Robbins, of Northgate street, Unley Park, has been notified that her son, Cpt. Peter Robbins, 22, has been killed in Egypt. Cpt. Robbins left Australia in November 1940 and served in Tobruk and Libya. An older brother is missing from HMAS Perth and is in the AIF.’
Back home, SX7937 Driver Merv Murrin and Roma placed a tribute to Peter in the Chronicle in November. ROBBINS — A tribute to memory of my pal, Capt. Peter Robbins, killed in action, Egypt. One of the best.— Remembered by Dvr. Mel Murrin (A.I.F. abroad) and Roma Murrin.
Initially Peter was buried in the field until January ’44. He now rests in the Alamein War Cemetery in Egypt in Plot XVI Row C Grave 26 where his grave is marked with a Cross. Nearby are others from his 2/48th Battalion, including 28-year-old SX8344 Sergeant R.M. Ide, 23-year-old SX9488 E.L. Montgomerie, 31-year-old SX8385 G.S.R. Fowler and other young men from sister battalion the 2/43rd and the 2/2nd 2/15th ,2/24th Battalions.
Posthumously, Captain Peter was Mentioned in Despatches ‘in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East during the period 1st May 1942 to the 22nd October 1943.’ Peter’s mother, Doris was informed of this honour in September.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.