PEAK, Harold Edward
| Service Number: | 425 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 April 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Australian Provost Corps |
| Born: | Ironbark, New South Wales, Australia, 24 January 1889 |
| Home Town: | Narromine, Narromine, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 28 October 1916, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, France Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, Picardie, France Narromine General Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Narromine War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 22 Apr 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 425, 1st Light Horse Regiment | |
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| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 425, 1st Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of Victoria embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 425, 1st Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Star of Victoria, Sydney | |
| 17 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 425, 1st Light Horse Regiment, embarked Alexandria for Marseilles per Transylvannia |
Afghanistan Service
| 15 Sep 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, Anzac Provost Corps |
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World War 1 Service
| 28 Oct 1916: | Involvement Corporal, 425, Australian Provost Corps , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 425 awm_unit: Australian Provost Corps awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1916-10-28 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Corporal Harold Edward Peak (Service No:425) enlisted in the AIF on 22 April 1914 as a Private with 1st Light Horse Regiment. Private Peak embarked from Sydney for Gallipoli on 20 October 1914 on board HMAT Star of Victoria A16. On 17 June 1916 Private Peak embarked from Alexandria for Marseilles on board the Transylvannia and was promoted to Corporal with the Anzac Provost Police Corps on 15 September 1916. Corporal Peak was KiA on 28 October 1916 when the dug out he was in was hit by shells - 'blown to bits by a shell at Flat Iron Top, south of Mametz Woods, which demolished the dug-out in which they were preparing to go to bed at about 9.30pm' (AWM; Red Cross Files; Corporal Monk). Corporal Peak was described as 'always jolly, looks on the bright side of things' in a letter written by J Roberts 'from the Front Line Trenches' to Harry's father (NAA).
Harry was born in 1889 at Ironbark nr Dubbo NSW, fifth of six children of William Edward Peake (b1846 in Nottinghampshire, England) and Frances (Fanny) Gawler (nee Reilly; b1847 in Bathurst, NSW). William (a Labourer) and Fanny (a Widow) married in 1877 in Orange NSW and settled at Narromine where they raised their family and William was a Labourer and Fettler. Harry's effects, returned to his father following his death, were coins, photos, a French book and a small pocket book (NAA).
Harry worked as a Labourer in Narromine according to the Electoral Roll of 1913; in his Attestation Papers he states he was a Farmer, and in the Red Cross Files (AWM) is said to have been a Coachman. In a news report on his death (Trove; 1916) Harry was described as 'one of the first members of the Narromine Light Horse to enlist for service'.