Frederick Thornton Peters VC

Name: Frederick Thornton Peters

Conflict: Second World War

Gazetted: May 18, 1943

Service: Royal Navy

Place/date of birth: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada/September 17, 1889

Rank when awarded VC (and later highest rank): Acting Captain

Date of bravery: November 8, 1942

London Gazette citation:

The late Acting Captain Frederick Thornton Peters, D.S.O., D.S.C., Royal Navy, for valour in taking H.M.S. Walney, in an enterprise of desperate hazard, into the harbour of Oran on the 8th November, 1942. Captain Peters led his force through the boom towards the jetty in the face of point-blank fire from shore batteries, a Destroyer and a Cruiser. Blinded in one eye, he alone of the seventeen Officers and Men on the bridge survived. The Walney reached the jetty disabled and ablaze, and went down with her colours flying.

Click here to see full Gazette entry.

Other decorations: DSO, DSC & Bar

Place/date of death: Near Plymouth, Devon (air crash over sea)/November 13, 1942

Grave/memorials: Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire; Trail Royal Canadian Legion Post, British Columbia, Canada

Origin of VC to the Lord Ashcroft collection: Purchased at auction, Spink, London, 1993

Current location of VC: Displayed on rotation at The Lord Ashcroft Gallery: Extraordinary Heroes exhibition, Imperial War Museum