Dowdey, Peter

No.2192 – Private Peter Dowdey – 44^th Battalion AIF

Peter Dowdey was born in Port Adelaide South Australia on the 21^st October 1891 to John and Sarah Dowdey. Unfortunately, his father died in 1895 and his mother in 1899 and Peter was left to be brought up by his elder siblings. Little is known of his early life prior to his enlistment in the AIF when he was living with his brother Charles at Trades Hall Fremantle, though he had been working as a Miner in and around Bolgart in Western Australia. On the 26^th April 1916 Peter Dowdey enlisted into the AIF at the Fremantle Drill Hall. He was passed as fit with the medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 5 ½ inches tall; weight of 128 lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; fresh complexion; brown eyes and dark hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

Initially allotted to No.66 Depot, Peter was then transferred to the 3^rd Reinforcements to the 44^th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA until they departed from Fremantle Harbour on the 10^th October 1916 aboard the H.M.A.T. “Suffolk”. Arriving at Plymouth England on the 2^nd December 1916, Peter and his mates were disembarked and marched into the 11^th Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains. He only stayed here for a few weeks of training as on the 20th December 1916 he was put in a draft of men for France. On the 21^st December they were marched into the 3^rd Division Base Depot at Etaples. Peter stayed here into 1917 and it is stated that he spent a month in a segregation camp for unstated reasons. On the 19^th February 1917 he marched out of camp and the following day was taken on strength of the 44^th Battalion.

The 44^th Battalion soon moved to the Ploegsteert area of Belgium where they remained for some time. On the 6^th May 1917 Peter was charged with being drunk on active service and for using abusive language to a superior officer. As a punishment he was given 14 days of Field Punishment No.2.

The 44^th Battalion were soon preparing for the Battle of Messines in June 1917. The first objectives were taken on the 7^th June by the 9^th Brigade and they were relieved by 11^th Brigade units including the 44^th Battalion. The 44^th were to carry on the gains already made. The 44^th had a tough task as the Germans had recovered from their initial shock and were providing tougher resistance. On the 8^th June 1917 Peter was killed in action. A Private Goddard stated that;

“I saw him get killed at Messines on June 8^th. We went over at daylight and took all our objectives. I and Dowdey were at the most advanced point we reached, and at 9am had just finished digging ourselves in. I saw a shell burst just in front of our new trench and a splinter went through Dowdey – in at the small of the back and out at the chest – he just said “God” and dropped. I was only 5 yards away – he was killed instantly – the fellows put an oil sheet over him and he was still there when we advanced the next day.”

It seems that Peter was later buried as a Private C.S. Vincent of the 44^th Battalion stated that;

“I saw his grave at Ploegsteert Wood Cemetery. A Cross was erected bearing full particulars. I knew him well in the Company; we came over together on the transport Suffolk October 1916.”

Unfortunately it seems his grave was later lost and he is therefore commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.

Hi brother Charlie served in the war with the 2nd Pioneer Battalion and made it back home

In the 1930’s one of Peter’s sisters had a plaque dedicated to him in Kings Park Perth.