Walter Peeler - First World War

First World War

By 1916, Peeler was living in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond with his wife and three daughters. On 17 February, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force for service in the First World War. Posted as a private soldier to the machine gun section of the 3rd Pioneer Battalion, Peeler underwent his initial training in Victoria, before departing from Melbourne headed for England aboard HMAT Wandilla on 6 June. The battalion arrived in Plymouth seven weeks later. During the three months Peeler's unit spent in England undergoing additional training, he was charged with being absent without leave for six hours on 3 July, and fined a day's pay. He was nevertheless promoted to lance corporal on 6 November.

Two weeks later, the 3rd Pioneer Battalion was posted to the Western Front. Sent to the Armentières sector, the battalion spent several months working on trench and railway construction. In mid-December, Peeler attended a week-long course at the Machine Gun School in Le Touquet, and in early 1917, accompanied the battalion north in preparation for the upcoming Messines offensive. However, on 8 May 1917, one month before the offensive, Peeler found himself the subject of a court-martial in the field. Following an incident that occurred during a training session on 26 April, he was charged with "careless and negligent handling of a Lewis Gun whilst instructing" that led to "grievous bodily injury" to Private John Martin Fife. Found guilty of the charge, Peeler was stripped of his lance corporal stripe.

On 7 June 1917, Peeler participated in the initial assault on Messines Ridge. Manning a Lewis Gun during the action, he was injured twice, suffering shrapnel wounds to his face and eye from an artillery shell, and a gunshot wound to his right cheek. He spent three days in hospital before returning to his battalion. On 22 June, he was once again promoted to lance corporal. The 3rd Pioneer Battalion spent the next four months in a quieter section of the front.