Ernest Henry PETERS

Ernest Henry Peters was born 16 August 1894 in Cooktown, and one of nine children of Claus Frederick Peters and Albertina Klabunde.  John Phillip born 1884, Claus Frederick 1886, Georg Wilhelm 1888, Albertina Klabjina 1890, Hermnann Carl 1892 then Ernest Henry 1894, Dorothea Christina 1896, Grace Henrietta 1899 and Frank Perce 1902.  His mother was a Nurse at the Atherton Hospital.

When he enlisted in Cairns on 11 January 1916 he was living in Mareeba. He was 22 years 4 months of age, occupation Labourer and his next of kin his father Frederick Charles Peters, Helen St Cooktown. His height was  5 feet 11 1/2 inches  weighed 156 pounds with  fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair.  He was Church of England.

He embarked on the HMAT Borda from Sydney on 5 June 1916 and arrived in Southampton England, via Alexandria Egypt. On 23 November he arrived in France and was appointed temporary Driver. He was admitted to hospital with mumps on 31 December 1916 and rejoined his unit on 23 January 1917.

On 13 February he received an accidental gunshot wound to his left hand and was subsequently court martialed charged with “conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline carelessly wounded himself in the left hand” and found guilty. He was held in detention and returned to his unit on 3 April 1917.

Ernest Henry Peters was killed in action on 11 June 1917 and was buried at Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Messines, Flanders, Belgium.