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Peck E H H  Gunner  6565

Page history last edited by Lenore Frost 5 years, 11 months ago

Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

 

Peck E H H   Gunner  6565    Eliel Harold Huntington          4 FAB    21    Jackeroo    Single    C of E        

Address:    Essendon, Pascoe Vale Rd, “Hiawatha”    

Next of Kin:    Peck, H H, father, “Hiawatha”, Pascoe Vale Rd, Essendon    

Enlisted:    14Jun 1915        

Embarked:     A18 Wiltshire 8 Nov 1915 

 

Relatives on Active Service:

W A Blair, cousin, Dookie

Sterling-J-H-Lt future brother-in-law KIA

 

 

Gunner Eliel Harold Huntingdon Peck

 

 

Eliel Harold Huntington Peck, 6565, 11 Battery 4 Field Artillery Brigade, jackeroo, had served with the Cadets at Melbourne Grammar for 12 months and at Wagga for 12 months.

 

He enlisted on 14/6/1915 at the age of 21 years and 2 months. He arrived in Egypt too late to be sent to Gallipoli. 

 

After a year in France during the winter of 1916-17 he developed 'trench foot'. After a period in hospital he returned to the Front where he was wounded in action, gunshot wound to the left thigh on 29/9/1918 and was admitted to the 3rdAustralian General Hospital at Abbeville.

 

Gunner Peck was the grandson of John Murray Peck who was a founder of the Cobb & Co transport company, and later well-known at the Newmarket Saleyards as an auctioneer.  In 1888 J M Peck was the President of the Associated Stock and Station Agents of Victoria.  Gunner Peck's father, Harry Huntington Peck, was another well-known stock and station agent at Newmarket, and author of   Memoirs of a stockman.

 

Gunner Peck, or E. Harold H. Peck as he signed himself, returned to Australia on 17/7/1919 on the Mahia.  He died in October 1947at the age of 53.

 

(Courtesy of Rod Martin and Sheila Byard, who provided information on this soldier. )

 

Essendon Gazette 29 July 1915

 

Mr. W. A. Blair, of Dookie, elder son of Capt. W. A. Blair, has volunteered for service with the A.I.F. He is another old Essendonian boy for the front,  having  been born at Pascoe Vale, where his grandmother, Mrs. J. M Peck, still resides.  Mr. Blair’s family has been connected with this district for many years. One grandfather (W. A. Blair) came in 1858 to live at Essendon, where he held large landed interests; the other (J.  Peck), who settled at Ascot Vale in 1861, assisted largely towards the building of the old Essendon Town Hall, and adjudicated for many years at the local court. Mr. Blair’s cousin, E.  Harold Peck, left for the Dardanelles this week. Mr. Harold Peck can also claim a long association, with the district on his mother’s side, she being a daughter of Mr. Danl. Wilson, of St. Olaves, Essendon, one of our oldest and best known residents.

 

 

War Services Old Melburnians 1914-1918

 

G H. EARP took part in the Landing on Gallipoli, and was at Achi Baba and in subsequent engagements, and after the inspection by Lord Kitchener, early in November, returned to the Peninsula, where he remained until the Evacuation. He was granted a commission last March, and after landing in France he took over duty early in April. In his last letter, dated April 30th, he says that he had seen HAROLD PECK and other Old Boys, who were fit and in great spirits. He had to act as orderly officer in an alarm for gas attack, but fortunately the gas did not quite reach the lines. Subsequently he had charge of the construction of huts.

War Notes re O.M.'s, 23rd August 1916. p 243

 

J. D. BOYDELL, who is a signaller 55th Siege Battery, R.A.A., writes from " In the Field" (France) under * date 9/8/17: " CECIL WADE, who was at the Grange and the Grammar with me, was up to-day, and we had some great yarns about all the different school fellows. FRANK ROSS is around here somewhere, so is CLIVE TULLY and RON. McCALLUM." Four days later he writes : " I have struck  a hot-bed of O.M.'s just behind our camp, so have all my spare time filled in talking to them of old friends.  HAROLD PECK and DICK KEATS were up here on Saturday night, and ERNIE COLLINS last night. I was jolly glad to see the latter, as I had read of his death (killed in action) a month or so ago.  

Letters from OMs, 18th December 1917, p198.

 

TOM MILLEAR writes us from Tertry, near Peronne, France, on Nov. 21:-" Very many thanks for the Xmas card received a few days ago. It came at the same time as I received a cable from my people, telling of the Combined Sports victory. We are at present uncertain of our movements. A few days ago it was officially announced that we were to go to Coblenz as garrison troops. We have just had three and a half weeks out of action, being in from March 8th to Oct. 25th, with 12 days' spell in all between that time. We were travelling up to the line again when we were stopped here on account of the Armistice. By the way, MITFORD WILMOT called round to see me to-day. He is looking well and the B.A.C. life is, it seems, a nicer one than being in a battery. Young 'CHUCK' HUGHES is in the 12th Battery, HAROLD PECK in 11th, and back again after the knock that he got the morning we belted the Hindenburg line at Bellicourt. His battery (150 yds. to our half-left front) got a warm spin there.

Letters from OMs, 28th May 1919, p229

 

E. H. H. PECK enlisted on 14th June and embarked as Gunner in 4th A.F.A. Brigade on 18th November 1915. He took part in operations in France and Belgium until Armistice and, having returned to Australia on 17th July, was discharged on 8th September 1919.

War Service Particulars, p 357

 

 

War Service Commemorated

Ascot-Vale-Presbyterian-Church

Associated Stock and Station Agents

Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour Wounded (H Peck Pte)

 

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