Dowdey, Peter
No.2192 – Private Peter Dowdey – 44th Battalion AIF
Peter Dowdey was born in Port Adelaide South Australia on the 21st 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 26th 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 3rd Reinforcements to the 44th Battalion. He trained with this group in WA until they departed from Fremantle Harbour on the 10th October 1916 aboard the H.M.A.T. “Suffolk”. Arriving at Plymouth England on the 2nd December 1916, Peter and his mates were disembarked and marched into the 11th 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 21st December they were marched into the 3rd 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 19th February 1917 he marched out of camp and the following day was taken on strength of the 44th Battalion.
The 44th Battalion soon moved to the Ploegsteert area of Belgium where they remained for some time. On the 6th 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 44th Battalion were soon preparing for the Battle of Messines in June 1917. The first objectives were taken on the 7th June by the 9th Brigade and they were relieved by 11th Brigade units including the 44th Battalion. The 44th were to carry on the gains already made. The 44th had a tough task as the Germans had recovered from their initial shock and were providing tougher resistance. On the 8th June 1917 Peter was killed in action. A Private Goddard stated that;
“I saw him get killed at Messines on June 8th. 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 44th 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.