Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Peter Flaherty was born on 22 March 1892 at Temuka, the third son of Martin and Honora (née Griffin) Flaherty. His parents who were both from Ireland, married at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Temuka. Nine children were born at Temuka (Peter the last) before the family moved in the mid-1890s to Cheviot where three more were born. Peter was educated at Mackenzie School in North Canterbury.

Peter was a butcher at Cheviot when he enlisted on 14 June 1915 at Trentham. He had applied for the infantry at the Citizens’ Defence Corps Recruiting Bureau, Christchurch, on 9 June. He was still serving with the Territorials (4 camps). Single and Roman Catholic, he named his father as next-of-kin – Martin Flaherty, Cheviot, Canterbury. Private Peter Flaherty was in camp at Trentham, ready to leave with the Seventh Reinforcements, when his brother John was wounded in September 1915.

Private P. Flaherty, 6/3015, returned to New Zealand from the front, invalided, in March 1918. He was discharged on 15 April 1918, no longer physically fit for war service. For his service in Egypt and Western Europe, he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. An enthusiastic reception was given to a number of returned soldiers at a social under the auspices of the Cheviot Soldiers’ Committee in the Cheviot Town Hall in May 1918. Gold war medals were presented to Private P. Flaherty and four comrades.

Peter resumed his employment as a butcher. In 1929, he married Alice Eliza Dix, who was some years older. He died at Christchurch on 1 December 1959, aged 67 years and was buried in the Ruru Lawn Cemetery. He was survived by Alice, who died in 1963. His brothers John and Martin also served in the war. Peter was a pall-bearer at John’s funeral in 1938.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [22 June 2023]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [22 June 2023]; School Admission record (Canterbury Branch NZSG) [22 June 2023]; Ruru Lawn Cemetery burial record (Christchurch City Council) [22 June 2023]; Sun, 9 June 1915, 13 March 1918, 18 April 1918, Press, 17 September 1915, 3 December 1959, 2 September 1963, Lyttelton Times, 13 April 1918, 8 May 1918 (Papers Past) [22 June 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, South Canterbruy Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.