Author of “The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC: The Making of a Hero of Two World Wars“ Interviewed Today By Radio Station in Winnipeg, A City Justly Proud of Its Valour Road

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by Sam McBride

Earlier today it was my pleasure to be interviewed by Dahlia Kurtz of AM680 CJOB Winnipeg regarding my book on Capt. Frederic Thornton “Fritz“ Peters. The live interviews were broadcast in two segments between 2 pm and 3 pm Central Time.

Dahlia read the book and was amazed by the incredible life of Fritz Peters, including three major awards for valour in both world wars, service with the Secret Intelligence Service, and surviving hundreds of threats to his life in wartime as well as between the wars in frontier Ghana in central Africa. Several times she asked: “Why don`t we know about this great Canadian hero?“

She noted that Winnipeg is particularly interested in Victoria Cross stories because of its distinction of having three Victoria Cross recipients who grew up on the same street, within a block of one another. In 1925, Pine Street in Winnipeg was renamed Valour Road in recognition of the courage of three young men who all lived on the 700 block of the street. Corporal Leo Clarke, Sergeant-Major Frederick William Hall, and Lieutenant Robert Shankland each received the Victoria Cross for acts of bravery during the First World War.

http://www.cjob.com/dahlia/

Historic Gray Creek Store is Latest Outlet to Sell “The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC“

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by Sam McBride

 

I am very pleased to announce that copies of “The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC: The Making of a Hero of Two World Wars“ are now available for purchase at the Gray Creek Store, which this year is celebrating 100 years of continuous operation by the Lymbery family.

In 1913 Art Lymbery, father of the current proprietor and local history authority Tom Lymbery, founded the store in 1913 at Gray Creek on the east shore of Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia.   That was the same year that Fritz Peters retired from his first stint of service with the Royal Navy, and began employment as a third engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway in the B.C. interior, including service on the Kootenay Lake sternwheelers.

The store is one of the oldest family-owned and operated businesses in the province.   Tom, who has been active in the B.C. Historical Society for years,  reviewed “The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC“ in the October 2013 edition of the East Shore Mainstreet publication.   Many thanks go to Tom and the staff at the store for supporting the book.

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Memorable Images from Maritimes Book Tour

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Magnificent Cape Breton coast

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Enchanting covered bridge in New Brunswick

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The author signing books at Indigo East Point in Saint John (photo taken by Kathy Wilson of the New Brunswick Historical Society, who came by to chat and bought copies of the book as gifts)

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With help from the PEI Genealogical Society, we were able to find the tombstone of Fritz`s grandfather, the Father of Confederation Col. John Hamilton Gray, at Sherwood Cemetery near Charlottetown Airport.

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Next to the Col. Gray tombstone was one for his daughter Rosie, who died at age 4 in 1874.

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Spectacular pumpkin farm between Fredericton and Alma, NB.

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Legislature at Province House in Charlottetown, where Fritz`s father Frederick Peters and uncle Arthur Peters served as premier and attorney general

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Meeting room in Province House where Col. Gray and other Fathers of Confederation met in September 1864 during historic Charlottetown Conference.

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Views of the extensive collection of models and memorabilia of Fritz`s great-grandfather Sir Samuel Cunard at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

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McBride doing a slide presentation on the Fritz Peters story at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

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sam at fredericton on phone

Author McBride doing interview with CBC radio reporter while signing books at the Chapters Fredericton

The Amazing Story of Fritz Peters VC is Resonating With Maritimers

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By Sam McBride

At the half-way point of the Maritimes book tour for “The Bravest Canadian – Fritz Peters VC: The Making of a Hero of Two World Wars”, we are getting great publicity from the print and broadcast media in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and now Nova Scotia.

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Books signing sessions in Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John have generated book sales and a lot of interest in the book, and I have been very pleased to meet and talk to Maritimers who are interested in Fritz Peters and also have their own stories of courageous relatives who served in the world wars and up to the present with the Afghanistan conflict, as well as veterans and personnel currently serving in Canada’s military.

My interview with the CTV morning show on Sept. 30 can currently be viewed at http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/ctv-morning-live

A major event of the tour is my presentation on Tuesday, October 1st beginning at 7:30 pm at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which I regard as one of the greatest museums in North America.

with cousins at signing

Above and below: earlier book signings in Charlottetown

with david at reading

Feature on Fritz`s mother Bertha Gray Peters in “The Island“ magazine

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The spring/summer 2013 edition of The Island magazine includes an extensive feature on Roberta Hamilton Susan “Bertha“ Gray Peters (1862-1946).

As a daughter of P.E.I. Father of Confederation Col. John Hamilton Gray and mother of Captain Frederic Thornton “Fritz“ Peters VC, DSO, DSC and bar, DSC (U.S.), RN, Bertha witnessed a wide sweep of Canadian history over more than eight decades. She was also a fascinating character in her own right — extremely well-read, witty and holding strong opinions in support of the British Empire, and often, in line with her United Empire Loyalist heritage, against the United States of America.

The nine-page feature article includes 17 photographs of members of the Gray and Peters families, as well as a map that shows the locations in Charlottetown of well-known estates of the Peters and Grays in the 19th century: Sidmount House, Inkerman House and Westwood.
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MP publication features Fritz Peters book

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Many thanks to Alex Atamanenko, Member of Parliament, British Columbia Southern Interior, for promoting “The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC: The Making of a Hero of Two World Wars“ in his recent newsletter to constituents.

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“The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC“ Wins B.C. Genealogical Society 2012 family history book award

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On June 12, 2013 the British Columbia Genealogical Society announced that “The Bravest Canadian — Fritz Peters VC: The Making of a Hero of Two World Wars“ won the society`s 2012 Family History Book Award.

The award was presented to author Sam McBride at the B.C. Genealogical Society awards night in Burnaby, B.C.  The BCGS web site at www.bcgs.ca has more details on the annual book award.

This is the book`s first West Coast award. In February 2013 the letters-based biography of Capt. Frederic Thornton Peters, VC, DSO, DSC and bar, DSC (U.S.), RN was honoured with a Heritage Award from the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation.

http://www.abcbookworld.com/view_author.php?id=10982

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Certificate for BCGS family history book award

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information about the BC Genealogical Society family history book awards

Online features, interviews and reports related to the life and achievements of Fritz Peters VC

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Halifax Chronicle-Herald newspaper

http://thechronicleherald.ca/books/168866-a-hero-s-story-more-than-a-military-man

New Brunswick Historical Society newsletter

http://www1.gnb.ca/0007/culture/heritage/NBHSNov2012.pdf

Monday magazine, Victoria, B.C., November 2012

http://www.mondaymag.com/entertainment/177781151.html

Nelson Star

http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/183103291.html?mobile=true

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum web site, Local Heroes section

http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/heroes/peters.html

CBC Charlottetown – radio

http://www.cbc.ca/player/AudioMobile/Mainstreet+PEI/ID/2336800722/?page=6

http://www.cbc.ca/islandmorning/episodes/2011/11/11/a-pei-war-hero—frederick-thornton-peters

list of authors interviewed by Mark Forsythe on CBC British Columbia

http://www.cbc.ca/bcalmanac/bookshelf

News 1130, Vancouver, B.C.

http://www.news1130.com/2012/11/10/new-book-shines-light-on-bc-veteran

World Naval Ships Forum – discussion

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10072543

Victoria Cross forum – discussion

http://victoriacross.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1801

Military Times – Hall of Valor

http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=17107

ww2*awards

http://en.ww2awards.com/person/130

abcbookworld web site

http://www.abcbookworld.com/view_author.php?id=10982

Photos from the presentation of 2013 Heritage Awards by the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pei_museum

The article below in Legion Magazine was done in 2006 before information from the Peters Family Papers became available.   The story of Fritz is included along with the stories of Canada`s other naval VC`s, Robert Hampton Gray and Rowland Bourke.   Further details on all three are in the Local Heroes section of the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum web site.   Ironically, each of the heroes  has a special connection with the small mountain community of Nelson, British Columbia, 400 miles inland from the West Coast.  Gray and Bourke lived in Nelson, and Peters` U.S. DSC medal was officially presented to his mother as next-of-kin in a ceremony at her home in Nelson.

http://legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2006/03/valour-in-the-navy/

upboat.net

http://www.uboat.net/allies/commanders/submit.php

Veterans Affairs Canada, virtual memorial for Frederic Thornton Peters.   Click on digital collection.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem/detail/2495305

Amazon.ca listing and reviews

http://www.amazon.ca/Bravest-Canadian-Story-Fritz-Peters/dp/1926991109

Canadian Expeditionary Force research forum

http://cefresearch.ca/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10595

Details of mountains in the Nelson, B.C. area named after Fritz Peters and Hammy and Jack Gray, along with geographic naming of Rowland Bourke on the B.C. coast.

http://www.54thbattalioncef.ca/WARPAGES/geographic.htm

Fritz and Operation Reservist noted in An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson, winner of Pulitzer Prize

http://books.google.ca/books?id=J4FDFgWB3aYC&pg=PA70&lpg=PA70&dq=frederic+thornton+peters&source=bl&ots=7rAdpFTNVx&sig=RAtEp2BU6hsvXsLtU4XhAdLTsAs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1Na0UbDoN4SiiQLn14HYBw&ved=0CGYQ6AEwCTgU#v=onepage&q=frederic%20thornton%20peters&f=false

Special Forces roll of honour (SOE)

http://www.specialforcesroh.com/showthread.php?4109-Peters-Frederick-Thornton

Bartley family tree, including Gray and Peters families

http://www.thesilverbowl.com/familytree/BartleyTree-6.htm

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum web site, Defending the Coast section.  Story of Peters` cousin,  Col. James Peters

http://www.navalandmilitarymuseum.org/resource_pages/coastal_defence/james_peters.html

Veterans Affairs Canada virtual memorial for Fritz`s brother John Francklyn Peters.   Click on digital collection.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem/photos/1595255

Veterans Affairs Canada virtual memorial for Fritz`s brother Gerald Hamilton Peters.   Click on digital collection.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem/Detail/1595253

Biography of Fritz`s paternal grandfather Judge James Horsfield Peters

http://biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?id_nbr=6365

Biography of Fritz`s uncle, the Hon. Arthur Peters

http://biographi.ca/en/bio/peters_arthur_13E.html

Biography of Fritz`s maternal grandfather, Col. John Hamilton Gray

http://biographi.ca/en/bio/gray_john_hamilton_1811_87_11E.html

Biography of Fritz`s maternal great-grandfather, Col. Robert Gray

http://biographi.ca/en/bio/gray_robert_1828_6E.html

Biography of Fritz`s paternal great-grandfather, Sir Samuel Cunard

http://biographi.ca/en/bio/cunard_samuel_9E.html

Biography of Fritz`s Loyalist ancestor Charles Jeffery Peters

http://biographi.ca/en/bio/peters_charles_jeffery_7E.html

Biography of Fritz`s Loyalist ancestor Benjamin Lester Peters

http://biographi.ca/en/bio/peters_benjamin_lester_8E.html

Biography of Fritz`s uncle Henry Skeffington Poole

http://biographi.ca/en/bio/poole_henry_skeffington_14E.html

Biography of Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield, RN, father of Fritz`s uncle Edward Bayfield

http://biographi.ca/en/results.php?ft=Bayfield

Biography of Fritz`s maternal great-grandfather, Gen. Sir John Lysaght Pennefather

http://www.oxforddnb.com/templates/article.jsp?articleid=21865&back=

How Canadian was Frederic Thornton Peters?

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by Sam McBride

F.T. “Fritz“ Peters is excluded from some lists of Canadian Victoria Cross heroes because 1) he spent his adult years based in either Gold Coast colony in West Africa, or England; 2) he served in the Royal Navy and with the British Secret Intelligence Service; or at sea with the Royal Navy; and 3) he rarely mentioned Canada as his nation of birth and boyhood.

A long-time friend and naval colleague, Commander David Joel, wrote in unpublished memoirs that he had heard that Peters returned to Canada for a time in the inter-war period, but he had no details.

The last record of Fritz in Canada was his father Frederick Peters` funeral in Victoria, British Columbia in August 1919, which Fritz organized and attended. His mother Bertha Gray Peters later wrote that her son Fritz would have joined the Royal Canadian Navy if there was one, but when Fritz enlisted at age 15 in 1905 the only navy to sign up with was the Royal Navy, which had a large profile in the Victoria region where Fritz resided due to its Pacific Station base in Esquimalt. The Royal Canadian Navy was still five years away from existence.
The latest publicly available censuses Fritz is on are the 1901 and 1911 censuses. Interestingly, he and his family are included in both the Canada census and the England census for 1901, when the family continued to be based in Oak Bay, B.C. but spent considerable time at Bertha`s stepmother Sarah Caroline Cambridge Gray`s community of Bedford north of London, where the children attended private school. Fritz was also counted twice in 1911, as his family included him as a resident of Esquimalt where they lived, and, as a sub-lieutenant on HMS Otter, Fritz was also included in the 1911 England census. He listed his nationality as Canadian, with “British subject“ in parentheses. Fritz listed his ethnic background as Scottish, as did all of his siblings except elder sister Helen, who said she was of English heritage.

Fritz`s Canadian origins are clearly stated in his Royal Navy file, and his best friends Swain Saxton, Cromwell Varley and David Joel were aware that he was Canadian. While it is true that Fritz did not mention being Canadian in his dealings with Americans in the Second World War, but tended to keep his personal life and background to himself as a matter of principle, and in sync with the top secret work he was involved in. Fritz`s letters home show that he detested self-promotion. Even if he were not involved in secret projects, he would not be showing off a c.v. or talking about his achievements because he thought such bragging was unseemly.

It is true that Fritz would have travelled on a British passport, because there were no Canadian passports until 1949 – seven years after his death. It is only in recent years that the concept of all Canadians being British subjects has faded away.

There are two other measures in which Fritz`s Canadianness stands out. Firstly, his ancestry goes back to an original proprietor of P.E.I., and three of his four grandparents (Peters, Gray and Cunard) were direct descendants of United Empire Loyalists who came to the Canadian Maritimes after the American Revolutionary War. If Canadian roots could be measured in loyalty and length of residence, Fritz was about as Canadian as you could get.

Secondly, Fritz deserves recognition as a Canadian because two of his brothers, Private John Francklyn Peters and Lieut. Gerald Hamilton Peters, died early in the First World War fighting with the 7th British Columbia Battalion. Another brother, Noel Quintan Peters, served with the Canadian Forestry Corps.

And Fritz was always proud to be a grandson of a Father of Confederation, Col. John Hamilton Gray. Fritz’s letters show that he spent time in London researching his grandfather and other Fathers of Confederation.

Also, the name of Fritz Peters is not found in British lists of Victoria Cross recipients from England, so if he is also not on Canadian lists he is overlooked in the overall picture.

If you talk to people in Charlottetown, they will tell you they are proud of him as a Canadian hero, particularly as he is the only P.E.I.-born recipient of the Victoria Cross.

So the answer is that yes, Fritz Peters was most definitely a Canadian!

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Cumulative index of 67 postings on this blog – as of May 31, 2013

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Here is a list of postings on thebravestcanadian.wordpress.com blog since it started in December 2011.  These postings can be accessed through the Archives list on the right side of the screen.  To view the Archives listing of months, click on the About tab.

 

December 2011

Biography of Fritz Peters, VC to be published in 2012 – Dec. 8, 2011

Ancestry of Frederic Thornton Peters, VC – Dec. 12, 2011

Fritz Peters’ first medal was for rescue actions following Messina earthquake – Dec. 15, 2011

Hilarious BBC broadcast of 1937 fleet review by inebriated Lt.-Cmdr Woodrooffe – Dec. 16, 2011

Naming of Mount Peters near Nelson, B.C. after Canadian war hero Fritz Peters, VC – Dec. 19, 2011

Proper spelling is “Frederic Thornton Peters”, NOT “Frederick” – Dec. 21, 2011

Souvenirs from the Victoria Cross Centenary of 1956 – Dec. 22, 2011

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part One: his father, the Hon. Frederick Peters, QC  – Dec. 25, 2011

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Two: his mother, Roberta “Bertha” Hamilton Susan Gray, Daughter of Confederation – Dec. 25, 2011

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Three: his sister, Helen Dewdney – Dec. 26, 2011

 

January 2012

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Four: his brother, John Francklyn “Jack” Peters – Jan. 2, 2012

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Five: his brother, Gerald Hamilton Peters – Jan. 5, 2012

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Six: his brother, Noel Quintan Peters – Jan. 6, 2012

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Seven: his sister, Violet Avis Peters – Jan. 8, 2012

 

February 2012

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Eight: his four grandparents – Feb. 7, 2012

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Nine: his cousins – Feb. 21, 2012

 

March 2012

Peters Family Papers: family history documents – March 10, 2012

New book “The Bravest Canadian” tells the story of Capt. Frederic Thornton “Fritz” Peters, VC – March 17, 2012

Letters from Private J.F. “Jack” Peters, Part One: Dec. 1914 – February 1915 – March 24, 2012

1914 Christmas card from Lieut. Frederic Thornton Peters on HMS Meteor – March 28, 2012

 

April 2012

Letters from Lt. Gerald Hamilton Peters, Part One: 1915 – April 2012

Letters from Lt. Gerald Hamilton Peters, Part Two: 1916 – April 2012

Implications of the sinking of Titanic in the Fritz Peters story – April 18, 2012

Itinerary for Helen Peters Dewdney and other Canadians at the VC Centenary in England in 1956 – Apr. 20, 2012

 

May 2012

Family of Frederic Thornton Peters – Part Ten: his brother-in-law Ted Dewdney – May 6, 2012

 

June 2012

Letters from Frtiz`s Brother Jack Peters, Part Two: March 11, 1915-April 13, 1915 – June 30, 2012

 

August 2012

Fritz Peters cadet report in 1906 – August 18, 2012

Scandal of first wife of Dr. Charles Peters and a pirate in New York in early 1700s — August 27, 2012

Condolence letters received by Bertha Gray Peters in 1916 — August 30, 2012

 

September 2012

Biography of Canadian War Hero Fritz Peters, VC – September 8, 2012

 

October 2012

Letters reveal Fritz Peters` way of thinking and love of literature — October 19, 2012

 

November 2012

New information emerges on the air crash that killed Fritz Peters 70 years ago today — November 14, 2012

Author interviewed on Montreal-based The Stuph Files — November 16, 2012

“The Bravest Canadian“ now available in bookstores and online — November 17, 2012

Front cover image of book — November 18, 2012

Back cover image of book – November 18, 2012

“The Bravest Canadian“ selling well in B.C. and P.E.I. — November 18, 2012

Telling the Fritz Peters story at the Royal British Columbia Museum — November 21, 2012

Author`s presentation on Fritz Peters Nov. 10th at Royal B.C. Museum — November 21, 2012

Feature on Fritz Peters book in Victoria`s Monday Magazine — November 24, 2012

70 years ago General Eisenhower awarded Fritz with U.S. DSC medal — November 28, 2012

 

December 2012

Book launch event Dec. 15th at Touchstones in Nelson — December 5, 2012

“The Bravest Canadian“ launched at Touchstones Museum — December 17, 2012

Nelson Star article on `The Bravest Canadian – Fritz Peters, VC“ — December 18, 2012

Memorable quotes of Frederic Thornton Peters — December 18, 2012

 

January 2013

Memorable descriptions of Frederic Thornton “Fritz“ Peters — January 17, 2013

Daughter of lifelong friend Cromwell Varley has fond memories of Fritz Peters – January 18, 2013

 

February 2013

Genealogy event in Castlegar, B.C.  on Feb.11, 2013 — February 4, 2013

“The Bravest Canadian“ reviewed in Naval  Association of Canada`s Starshell magazine — February 9, 2013

P.E.I. Heritage Award and book signings in Charlottetown —  February 10, 2013

Presentation on The Bravest Canadian – Fritz Peters VC` on Feb. 23rd at Hotel on Pownall — February 16, 2013

Busy in heritage-minded Charlottetown — February 22, 2013

Interview with author can be seen on CBC Charlottetown TV web link — February 22, 2013

Exploring Fritz Peters sites in Charlottetown — February 28, 2013

Fritz Peters book recognized with P.E.I. heritage award — February 28, 2013

 

April 2013

70 years since official announcement of F.T. Peters` Victoria Cross — April 18, 2013

Estate of Fritz Peters valued at 254 pounds — April 27, 2013

 

May 2013

Pte. John Francklyn Peters (1892-1915 — May 5, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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