William PEAT
Year of Birth: 1891
Place of Birth: Cairns, Queensland
Date of Enlistment: 8 January 1916
Date and Place of Embarkation: 8 August 1916, Brisbane, Queensland
Ship: HMAT Itonus A50
Rank: Private
Unit(s): 15th Australian Infantry Battalion, 1-23 Reinforcements
Regimental Number: 6071
Died: 1 February 1917
William Peat was born 21 June 1890 to William Gibson Peat and Jemima Hay, their only child.
William married Alice Rasmussen on the 21 September 1912. Alice is reported to have left William six months later and married Albert Rolls in 1918. Alice died in 1921.
In the 1913 and 1915 Electoral Roll he was a labourer at Aloomba, Queensland. William’s father died 16 February 1916.
On his enlistment William Peat was residing at Aloomba, his age was 25 years 5 months, occupation a Farm Labourer and he gave his wife as his next of kin, Mrs Alice Peat of Babinda. This was changed to “dead” and Mrs Elizabeth Glendinning, his aunt and foster mother, was named as his next of kin. His height was 5 feet 8 ½ inches, weighed 140 pounds with fair complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His religion was Presbyterian.
William Peat was killed in action in France 2 February 1917 and was reported buried near Flers by Rev. Beatie at Switch Trench Cemetery Flers, 2 ¾ miles NW of Combles. Reburied in the Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs, Peronne, Picardie, France.
Online Resources
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
Photograph of the HMAT Itonus A50, Australian War Memorial
NAA: B2455, Peat William National Archives of Australia
Australian War Memorial; Red Cross Wounded and Missing
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