Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Peter Emanuel Johannesen

Peter was born in Morke, Jutland, Denmark Europe on the 2/11/1894. He Immigrated to Australia on board the SS Zieten and landed at Fremantle, Western Australia 22/4/1913 – His brothers Svend Antonius, Alexander and Johannes Johannesen had also immigrated to Australia prior to 1913 from Denmark, Europe.

Alternative spelling of name is Peter Immanuel Johannesen – Peter was named Peter Emanuel Johannesen which he used on his Military application. When Peter completed his Naturalisation application, he spelt his name as Peter Immanuel Johannesen.

Peter initially went to work in the timber milling industry, working at Hofmann Mill and then Big Brook (later named Pemberton) with his brother Svend, working in the timber industry in the South West of Western Australia, where they were working after WW1 commenced and before they enlisted.

Being of Danish descent, Peter and brothers Svend and Alexander all signed up to fight on the Western front – Peter applied for Australian citizenship in March 1916 and was “naturalised” in July 1916.

On the 4th April 1916 applied to join the Australian Infantry Services as a Volunteer to join the World War 1 in Europe, and was accepted on the 21st August 1916. Peter joined the AIF at Blackboy Hill, near Greenmount Western Australia before despatch to the Western front.

Peter was part of the 16th Battalion, 4th brigade (20th Reinforcements) and Sailed to England on the “Suffolk” on the 13th October 1916 - he arrived at Plymouth England on the 2nd December 1916.

On the 28th December 1916 Peter was transferred from Folkstone, England to France on the “Princess Clementine” and was transferred to Etaples Boulogne Sur-Mer camp near Calais France for training, and subsequently joined the action in the 16th Battalion on the 11th February 2017 at Bapaume France.

Peter saw action in Bapaume France and then on the 11th April 1917 was part of the 1st Bullecourt offensive and was captured near Riencourt France – he sustained injuries to his left arm and lower left leg from grenade shrapnel and rifle wound and was captured by the Germans – he was admitted to the Valenciennes Hospital as a Prisoner of War, in the Lazarette ward.

On the 23rd June 1917 Peter passed away from his injuries and suspected cardiac issues in Valenciennes Hospital and was buried in a mass grave (South East German extension of the Valenciennes cemetery) with the ID number #250 – he was later re-buried in the Valenciennes (St Roch) Communal cemetery in grave IV.D.23. Peter was 22 years 7 mths old when he died

Background on Valenciennes, Northern France:

Valenciennes remained in German hands from the early days of WW1 until the 1st or 2nd Nov 1918, when it was entered and cleared by Canadian Corps – 5000 civilians were found in the town. In November and December 1918, the 2nd, 57th, 4th Canadian and 32nd casualty clearing stations were posted in Valenciennes and the last of them did not leave until October 1919.

The communal cemetery of St. Roch was used by the Germans from August and September 1914 when an extension was then made on the South East side. The Commonwealth plots were made adjoining the German extension; Section I and 11 contain the graves of October 1918 to December 1919. Sections 111, IV, V and VI contain the graves of 348 soldiers originally buried in the German Extension and 226 bodies were brought from other cemeteries or from the battlefields. The German extension has since been removed and the Commonwealth plots are within the enlarged Communal Cemetery.