Frederic Thornton Peters
Commander (retired) Frederic Thornton Peters, V.C., D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N. (17 September, 1889 – c. 13 November, 1942) was an officer in the Royal Navy. Some Navy Lists spell his named as Frederick.
Life & Career
Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Peters was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 January, 1911. He was transferred to Emergency List on 26 June 1913.
He was re-instated in 1914 and his seniority altered to 26 March, 1912.
He was appointed to the destroyer Meteor on 22 August, 1914.[1]
Peters was appointed in command of the destroyer Cockatrice on 26 January, 1918.[2]
Peters was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on an illegible date.
Retired at his own request 26 June, 1920.
Peters was promoted to the rank of Commander on 17 September, 1929.
World War II
Much of his service record for this period is illegibly faded.
On 24 August, 1942 Peters was superseded by Philip George Wodehouse in command of H.M.S. Tynwald, a civilian vessel refitted as an anti-aircraft platform.[3]
Peters was presumed killed in an accident on 13 November, 1942 when a plane carrying him crash landed in the water and the pilot was unable to keep Peters afloat long enough for rescuers to arrive. Peters received the American D.S.C. gazetted 19 January 1943 and the V.C. gazetted 18 May, 1943.
Awarded the Victoria Cross for valour in taking H.M.S. Walney, in an enterprise of desperate hazard, into the harbour of Oran on the 8th November, 1942. Captn. Peters led his force through the boom towards the jetty in the face of point blank fire from shore batteries, a Destroyer and a Cruiser. Blinded in one eye, he alone of the seventeen officers and men on the bridge survived. The Walney reached the jetty disabled and ablaze, and went down with her colours flying.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Edward P. U. Pender |
Captain of H.M.S. Greyhound 22 Nov, 1915 – 15 Sep, 1916 |
Succeeded by Ronald C. Glazebrook |
| Preceded by Walter C. Clark-Hall |
Captain of H.M.S. Christopher 14 Sep, 1916[4] – 16 Aug, 1917 |
Succeeded by Lawrence F. N. Ommanney |
| Preceded by Edward Eastwick-Field |
Captain of H.M.S. Cockatrice 26 Jan, 1918[5] – 2 Jun, 1919 |
Succeeded by Joseph B. Newill |
Footnotes
