Walter Peeler

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Walter Peeler (VC, BEM) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 30 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 3rd Pioneer Battalion, Australian Imperial Force during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:

On 20 September 1917, east of Ypres, Belgium, during the first wave of an attack, Lance-Corporal Peeler encountered an enemy party sniping the advancing troops. He immediately rushed their position and accounted for nine of them, clearing the way for the advance. He repeated this action on two subsequent occasions, and each time accounted for a number of the enemy. During the operations he was directed to an enemy machine-gun which was firing on our troops. He located and killed the gunner and then bombed out the remainder from a dug-out where they had taken shelter.

Peeler later achieved the rank of sergeant.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Australian War Memorial (Canberra, Australia).

[edit] References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• VCs of the First World War - Passchendaele 1917 (Stephen Snelling, 1998)

[edit] External links

• PEELER W.
• Lance Corporal Walter Peeler (photo, brief details)

This page has been migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference with permission.