People Australia

William Arthur Peed, c 1915 photographer unknown

oai:awm.gov.au:P05413-070, Australian War Memorial

WILLIAM ARTHUR PEED was born at Norwood, Surrey, England, on 7th May, 1889, the son of Mr. Edward Lightwood Peed and Mrs. Susannah Peed, who removed to New Zealand while their son was a boy. He was educated at the High School, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Entering the service of the Bank in March, 1908, at Palmerston North, he was transferred in October, 1910, to Carterton, as ledger-keeper; in January, 1912, to Christchurch; in the following September to Wellington (N.Z.) ; in October to Fielding; and in December to Kawa Kawa as assistant. In October, 1913, he was sent to Singleton, New South Wales, as ledger-keeper, and in July, 1914, to Uralla.

William Peed enlisted on 11th January, 1915, becoming trooper No. 954 in the 7th Light Horse Regiment. He served with that Regiment until March, 1918, in Egypt and Palestine, being promoted in January, 1916, to corporal, and in March, 1917, to sergeant. He was wounded in action during the Battle of Ammon, in Syria, on 28th March, and died shortly afterwards, being buried on Good Friday a little way from Ammon in the mountains of Moab on the east side of the River Jordan.

Lieutenant Rupert Chapman, when writing to William Peed’s father shortly afterwards, said.— “He had been a member of my troop for the last two years and we have fought side by side in many a hot corner. For the past couple of months he was my troop sergeant, and there was never any need to bother while he was about. The troop never had a fairer man in duty or a braver man on the field. . . . He died doing his duty as only a brave man can. It happened at the Battle of Ammon, in Syria, on 28th March. We were outnumbered by at least eight to one, and were hard put to it to hold our own. On the 28th we were advancing on a flank movement. My troop endeavoured to cover our retirement and were shot down; only a corporal and myself were left. How we got through I cannot say. Poor Billie was shot just over the hip. Poor boy, I think it was the saddest moment of my life when informed next morning he had died that night on the way to the ambulance.”