Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Charles Francis Taylor Peake was born on 21 May 1896 at Timaru, the elder son of Francis Taylor and Blanche Louisa (née Reilly) Peake, who had married in 1895 at St Mary’s, Timaru. He was baptised privately at St Mary’s on 16 June 1896. Charles and his sister Margaret transferred to Timaru Main School from schools out of the district in 1906, Margaret featuring in prize lists and games. Charles had previously been at the Midland Railway Works School near Springfield. This was a moveable school, sited at Staircase Gully when Maggie left there. In Timaru, their father was a member of the Life Boat Lodge, relatives also being lodge members. He was also associated with the Good Templars and was MC for socials. In early March 1911, Maggie Peake was saved from drowning at the Century Swimming Baths by two Timaru school girls. In 1911/1912, the two younger Peake children, William and Ruth, transferred from Timaru Main School to Timaru South School, and it was there that Willie enjoyed success. Mrs Frank Peake contributed socks to the Red Cross work in September 1915. On 30 June 1913 in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court, the young lad Charles Francis Taylor Peake was charged with a serious assault on 26 June. The Magistrate committed him for trial in the Supreme Court on 1 September. He was liberated on probation and was to report daily at the police station. At the hearing in September, Charles F. T. Peake pleaded not guilty. The jury returned with a verdict of not guilty, and Peake was discharged. On 1 October 1913, C. F. T. Peake successfully sought £5.12s.6d from J. Flynn. Charles F. T. Peake was fined 40 shillings on 6 December 1915 for failing to attend drill.

Come mid-April 1916 and Charles Francis Peake registered at the Timaru Defence Office. Charles was medically examined on 22 April 1916 at Fairlie. He stood at 5 feet 8 inches, weighed 130 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 32¾-35¼ inches, a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all good, his limbs and chest well formed, and his heart and lungs normal. He was free of diseases and fits, was vaccinated, and was in good bodily and mental health. He had had an operation 10 years before for right inguinal hernia. South Canterbury’s quota of the 17th Reinforcements left Timaru by the second north-going express on 31 May. At noon they were entertained at dinner by the lady members of the South Canterbury War Relief Society, in Stafford Tea Rooms. At 3.30 p.m. the soldiers assembled at the Drill Hall, where they were farewelled by the Mayor and others. Among those who formed the Seventeenth Reinforcements was C. F. T. Peake (Infantry). He enlisted on 31 May 1916 at Trentham, having previously done so in May 1916 at Fairlie. He was serving with the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment. He named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Blanche Peake, who was then at Catherine Street, Timaru. She was later at Little River, Canterbury; and later still back in Timaru at 37 Charles Street. Charles himself was at “Fontwell”, Fairlie, farming for Mr Gillingham, was single and of Church of England allegiance.

Private C. F. T. Peake embarked at Wellington with the 17th Reinforcements, departing per the “Devon” on 25 September 1916 and disembarking at Devonport, England on 21 November 1916, having sailed via the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Posted to the 1st Canterbury Company on 22 November at Sling, he marched out for overseas (France) on 20 December 1916 and joined his Battalion in France on 16 January 1917. Wounded on 12 October 1917 – gunshot wounds to the buttock, he was admitted to No 14 General Hospital on 14 October. Embarking for England per Hospital Ship, he was admitted to the New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst on 15 October. His was listed as a severe case in early November. Having been transferred to the New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch on 30 October 1917, he left there on 6 December and was to report at Codford on 27 December.

Having been transferred to the 4th New Zealand Infantry Reserve Brigade at Sling on 2 April 1918, he marched out for overseas (France) again on 14 April and was attached to the 1st Battalion Canterbury Regiment twelve days later. He was admitted to hospital, sick, on 1 September 1918, and transferred to No. 21 Casualty Clearing Station on 3 September, suffering from dysentery. On 17 September 1918 he was admitted to No. 25 Stationary Hospital in France, suffering from dysentery, then was transferred to the Convalescent Depot in France a few days later. The hospital report at the end of September listed Peake as a severe case. Having been transferred from No. 2 Convalescent Depot to No. 6 General Hospital on 29 September 1918, suffering from influenza, he was transferred to England and admitted to No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst on 5 October 1918, with debility. He had had diarrhoea for five days. He was transferred from Brockenhurst to the Dysentery Depot at Barton on 1 November 1918 and from Barton on Sea to the NZ General Hospital at Brockenhurst (dysentery) on 18 December, then to Headquarters at Codford on 14 February 1919.

An Abridged Medical Board was held on 16 January 1919 to assess Private Peake’s disability. On 1 September 1918 in France, he developed dysentery which was caused by infection and was followed by debility. As of January 1919, his general condition was good, and he felt well. It was considered that his disability would last at least one month. He was unfit for War Service. A Medical Board was assembled on the “Corinthic” on 31 March 1919. His disability was debility following dysentery, caused by infection on Active Service. He had recovered, and no pension was recommended. Private C. F. T. Peake embarked per the “Corinthic” at Tilbury on 12 March 1919 and disembarked at Lyttelton on 22 April. This draft brought home eleven hundred men. Charles Peake was discharged on 21 May 1919, his 23rd birthday, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

On his return, Charles went as a shepherd to Sawdon Station at Burke’s Pass. By 1922 he was in Timaru with his wife. He had married Victoria Minnie Ashe Williams on 1 March 1922 at the Presbyterian Church, Ashburton. Many Timaru relatives and friends were guests. Mr and Mrs Peake were the recipients of many valuable and useful presents. Charles and Victoria probably spent little time together, and there were no children of the union. From the mid-1920s through into the 1930s, Charles was a labourer in North Canterbury. On 5 February 1936 in the Supreme Court, Wellington, a decree nisi was granted in the undefended divorce case – Victoria Annie [sic] Ashe Peake v. Charles Francis Taylor Peake, on the grounds of desertion. Victoria Minnie Ashe Williams remarried in 1936. Outliving her third husband by many years, she was buried at Waimate in 1986.

Charles Peake, 44 years old, a labourer, 32 College Road, Timaru, attested on 10 August 1940 at Timaru and enlisted on 10 August 1940, for service in World War Two. Private Charles Peake, 807446, served with the N.Z. Temporary Staff. He said that he was single, had no children and no other dependants; he named his sister as next-of-kin – Mrs Margaret Waller, 71 Hassall Street, Timaru. He had been medically examined on 7 August 1940 at Timaru. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a fair (or dark) complexion, grey eyes and grey hair. His vision, colour vision, hearing and nervous system were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed, his physical development good; and he was free of diseases. On 25 August 1941 he was admonished for failing to obey. A Medical Board was assembled at Burnham on 21 September 1945. He had not served overseas in this war. During service he had suffered bouts of flu, scabies, headaches, gastritis, sore knee. He had a small cyst, but all movements of the knee were free with no pain. Diagnosed with a cartilage problem, C. Peake was estimated as permanently unfit on “I do not wish to have any operation on my knee as it is not causing any problem at present.” In 1942, Charles Francis Taylr Peake had married Maud Irene McConnochie (née Ede), a widow. He was discharged on 11 October 1945 after 5 years and 63 days of service. On 28 December 1945, he applied for War Service Gratuity. In 1950, he claimed the War Medal, 1939-45, and the N.Z. War Service Medal, both from 9/8/40.

From the mid-1940s through to the early 1960s, Charles and Maud lived at 32 College Road, Timaru, moving from there to 77 Canada Street. Charles Francis Taylor Peake died at Timaru on 6 February 1967, aged 80 years. He was buried in the services section of Timaru Cemetery where a services plaque marks his grave. Members of the Timaru RSA attended his funeral at the cemetery. He was survived by his second wife, Maud Irene, a daughter (Lynette McNeill) and a son (Noel). On 27 March 1918, Charles Peake, 27358, Private, 1st C.I.R., stated that he had previously made a Will which was deposited with Mrs B. Peake, Little River, Canterbury, New Zealand. Following his death, however, no Will went to probate. When Maud died in 1994, she was buried at Timaru with her first husband.

Francis Taylor Peake, of Little River, was listed on the 1916-1917 Reserve Rolls, married with one child (his youngest born in late 1905). Francis Taylor Peake met a sad end. On 20 December 1917, while his son Charles was serving overseas, he hung himself in his woolshed at Okute Valley, Little River. The verdict ruled that he was temporarily insane, due to ill-health, depression and an inability to work. He was buried in the Little River Cemetery. “Only a memory of bygone days, And a sigh for a face unseen; But a constant feeling that God alone Knows best, what might have been.” (From his wife and family on 20 December 1920.) Blanche Louisa Peake returned to Timaru and in 1927 she married Horace Alvin Edwards. She died at Timaru on 21 September 1935 and was buried at Timaru, Horace with her some years later.

Several Reilly cousins of Charles Francis Taylor Peake who also served in World War One - John Norman Reilly, Peter William Reilly, Reginald Herbert Reilly, Walter Leslie Reilly with the New Zealand Forces, and Herbert Reginald Walker with the Royal Navy. William Henry Peake, the younger brother of Charles, was called into the Home Service in World War Two and served as an instructor at Burnham. In all, he gave many years of military service (Territorials, Burnham Camp, Legion of the Frontiersmen). He was a compositor with the Timaru Herald.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [18 February 2015]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5922 0091309) [25 September 2016]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [18 February 2015]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [08 February 2015]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [18 February 2015]; Timaru Herald, 1 July 1913, 16 September 1913, 2 October 1913, 30 September 1915, 7 December 1915, 19 April 1916, 31 May 1916, 20 December 1918, 20 December 1920, 20 May 1922, Star, 27 October 1917, Sun, 6 November 1917, 26 December 1917, 10 April 1919, Press, 24 December 1917, 30 September 1918, Lyttelton Times, 26 December 1917, Evening Post, 5 February 1936 (Papers Past) [18 February 2015; 10 January 2016; 25 November 2024]; Timaru Herald, 7 February 1967 (Timaru District Library) [08 January 2016]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [25 November 2024]; Baptism record (South Canterbury Genealogy Society records) [25 November 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

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