Peter Casserly - World War I Service 1917-1919

World War I Service 1917-1919

Casserly was sent to a training camp in Melbourne before leaving for France. When his troop carrier, the Ascanius, was moored off Fremantle, he was refused permission to say goodbye to his mother, so he sent her a message in a bottle, which was found and sent to her.

On arrival in France, he was sent to the Somme, where he served as an armed guard with the 2nd Transport Unit. The trains to and from the battlefront were subject to frequent bombardment from the Germans. Casserly served with the 2nd, 5th and 16th Railway Transport Units in Belgium and France. He also served as a sapper supporting Australian and British forces fighting in Ypres, Armentières and Amiens.

Casserly was court-martialled on 18 May 1918 on a charge of "When on active service, using violence to his superior officer in that he 'in the field' on 5 May 1918 violently assaulted Sgt A.G. Riddie". He was found guilty of the charge and was sentenced to 12 months 'IHL' ('In Hard Labour'). He was admitted to No. 1 Military Prison in France on 5 June 1918. On 15 October 1918, the remainder of his sentence was suspended, and he rejoined his unit.

After the ceasefire, Casserly was involved in cleaning up until his discharge on 11 September 1919. After the war he made a decision never to serve in the armed forces again. He only attended two Anzac Day marches in his life - in 1917 and in 2004 when he was driven as the guest of honour.