Edward Peterson was killed in action on 17 October 1944 between De Rips and Venray. He was aged 35 at the time. He was a Trooper in the 23rd Hussars Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps (Service No. 7953509). He was initially buried on the premises of H.M. van Bakel at Jodenpeel D82 Bakel-Milheeze and re-interred on 29 May 1947 in grave IV. D. 2 in the Overloon CWG Cemetery. The inscription on his grave reads: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him.”
 
No photo of Edward has yet been found. Should anyone reading this have a photo of him or further information regarding him – or if they are aware of any errors in his biography below can they please contact the Foundation.

Military Career

It isn’t known when Edward enlisted, though the 23rd Hussars were only raised on 1 December 1940 from personnel taken from the 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales’s Own) and the 15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars. It isn’t known if he would have been part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940.
 
The 23rd Hussars was a tank regiment which was assigned to the 29th Armoured Brigade of the 11th Armoured Division. From December 1940 until June 1944 the regiment spent its time training for what was to come. They landed in Normandy a week after D Day as part of the 11th Armoured Division. This division took heavy casualties in the Battle of Normandy. It spearheaded Operation Epsom, reaching the Odon river between Mouen and Mondrainville. It was embroiled in Operation Goodwood, where its assault on Bourguébus Ridge on the first day was brought to a halt. After Goodwood, the losses of armour within the division were so high that the 24th Lancers were disbanded and its remnants absorbed by the 23rd Hussars.
 
The Regiment then took part in Operation Bluecoat, intended to secure the key road junction of Vire and the high ground of Mont Pinçon, which would allow the American exploitation of their breakout on the western flank of the Normandy beachhead. The Division was subsequently attached to XXX Corps, which captured Flers, Putanges and Argentan in the battle of the Falaise pocket. Once the Falaise pocket was sealed, the Regiment remained with the 11th Armoured Division as it liberated L’Aigle on 23 August. It crossed the Seine on 28 August and, after an advance of 60 miles in one day, liberated Amiens on 1 September and Antwerp on 4 September. On 6-7 September the War Diary records that “Other small enemy activity and infiltrations in Division area make it impossible for the Reg’t. as a whole to take advantage of incredible generosity and enthusiasm of the people.”
 
It was not directly involved in the ground actions of Operation Market Garden, but covered the right flank of the advancing XXX Corps.
 
The Regiment was on the move again from 8 to12 September, remaining in Belgium but well to the east of Antwerp. During this time they experienced some heavy fighting. From 12 to 19 September, they were able to rest at Petit Brogel in Belgium. Here they were able to receive 8 more Sherman Tanks and 5 Stuart Tanks.
 
On 20 September they moved on via a bridgehead at Lille St Hubert and headed north to cross into the Netherlands and on to Heeze. The following day they led the advance north and to the east of Eindhoven. Here they came across Panzers which had orders to re-capture Eindhoven but were beaten off and the enemy retreated east to Helmond. They patrolled in this area on 22 September enabling the 3 Royal Tank Regiment to clear Helmond west of a canal before the Regiment headed south and east to come behind the 2 Fife and Forfar’s bridgehead at Someren. On 23 September they moved through the Fife and Forfars at Asten. They met stubborn resistance at Vlierden the following day but succeeded in reaching Deurne where they also received a further 6 Sherman tanks. On 25 September they moved north to De Rips where they remained until 15 October. At this time the Germans were well entrenched to the east of the Defence Canal which ran north to south to the east of De Rips. The Regiment therefore focussed on patrolling an area between De Rips and Milheeze to the west of the canal and guarding the road to Oploo. They received a further 9 Shermans. The extra equipment was necessary as in September they had lost 15 tanks, 1 scout car, 1 lorry and 1 motor cycle.
 
On 15 October, while the 3rd British Division were attacking Overloon and Venray from the north the Regiment established a bridgehead over the canal to the east. They found many mines, but no enemy as they had been drawn off to repel the attack on Overloon and Venray. The following day, they passed through the bridgehead and reached Merselo. On 17 October, A and B Squadrons were held up by bridge demolitions over a beck south east of Merselo and Haag. A Squadron was heavily mortared and hit by “moaning minnies” all day. C squadron pushed south down a track and reached the Deurne to Venray road at last light north east of Isselsteyn before withdrawing behind a small hill to the north for the night. It was on this day that Edward Petersen died.
 
His body was taken back just west of the bridgehead which the Regiment had crossed the day before and was buried in front of the farm of Driek van Bakel near the Hazenhutsedijk. He was buried alongside Donald Griffin of the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment which had been in action in a similar area to the 23rd Hussars that day. Donald had been wounded that day but died of his wounds later that same day. Both were later re-interred side by side at the Overloon Cemetery.

Family background of Edward Peterson

Edward Michael Petersen, as he was properly called, was the son of Charles John Petersen and Bridget Coughlan who had married in 1893.

Edward’s father, Charles John Petersen was born in 1876 in Germany (but shown as a British Subject) and was working as a Seaman. Little more is known with any certainty about him. Over time, the surname changed to Peterson.

Edward’s mother, Bridget Coughlan, was born on 29 April 1876 in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. She was one of six children born to John and Ann Coughlan (nee McCarthy). John was born in 1841 in Baltimore in Cork on the southern tip of Ireland. Ann was born in 1846 in Youghal which is just east of Cork. They had married in Newport in 1865. They lived at various addresses in Newport in 1871, 1881 and 1891. John was usually working as a Labourer and Ann as a Laundress.

In 1891, 15 year old Bridget had left home and was working as a servant at 131, Commercial Street, Newport for John H Lloyd and his wife Eleanor. John was an Ironmonger and he and Emily had seven children with them aged between 2 and 15.

Charles John Petersen married Bridget Clare Coughlan in Newport in 1893.

In 1901, Charles and Bridget were living at 161, Penarth Road in the St Mary’s Parish of Cardiff with their first child, Honora Kathleen Petersen who had been born on 30 October 1899 in Newport. They were living in the household of Bridget’s married sister, Ellen Foster, and her husband Joseph with their first child, also called Joseph, who was born that year. Ellen had married Joseph Foster in 1899 in Newport. He was a Ship’s Steward from Scotland. Also present were Ellen and Bridget’s mother, Ann, still working as a Laundress, and their brother John who was working as a Fireman on a Steamship. Bridget’s father was at this time living in Newport Union Workhouse at Stow Hill, Newport. By 1911 both John and Ann Coughlan were living in Newport Union Workhouse. As was the custom, they would be in separate wings for men and women. John, aged 70, was described as “formerly a coal trimmer”. Ann was 65. It is thought that John died in 1914 and Ann in 1921.

In 1911 Bridget and her husband (now just using the name John) had moved to 2 Beech Terrace, Abercarn, Monmouthshire. Abercarn is just north west of Newport in Wales. John was now shown as a labourer below ground. By now, they had a further 5 children as follows: Eileen Mary 1902, Charles John Eugene (known as Eugene) 25 April 1904, George Liston 10 May 1906, Winifred 1908 and Edward Michael 1909. All were born in Abercarn except Honora, suggesting they had moved there between 1901 and 1903. Another daughter, Lilian A Petersen was born on 1 February 1912 in Abercarn.

It is thought that Charles J Petersen died in the Newport district in 1914.

Bridget went on to marry Thomas Lloyd in 1916 in the Newport district. Thomas was born on 29 April 1877 in Ross on Wye in Herefordshire. They had a child, Vincent Otto Lloyd, on 8 October 1917 in the Newport district.

On 9 August 1918 Bridget’s daughter, Honora, enrolled in the Women’s Royal Airforce Service which had just been formed on 1 April that year.

In 1921 Bridget and Thomas Lloyd were still living at 2 Beech Terrace, Abercarn, where Bridget had lived in 1911. Thomas had been working as a miner for the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Company at their Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn but was out of work at the time. With them were Bridget’s six youngest children from her first marriage (including Edward) and Vincent from her second marriage. Her daughter Eileen was helping her in the house while her sons Eugene and George had been working as a miner hewers at the same colliery as Thomas Lloyd but were also out of work.

Bridget’s youngest daughter, Lilian A Petersen, married Arthur E Knight in Newport in 1933. Arthur was born on 16 October 1910. They had two children in the Newport district: Joan M Knight on 4 August 1934 and John E Knight in 1935.

Her eldest daughter, Honora Kathleen Petersen, married Cornelius George Hopley in 1934 in the Newport district. He had been born on 31 July 1901 in Warwick. They had a son, Joseph John Hopley, on 16 October 1935 in the Uxbridge district of Middlesex.

By September 1939, Bridget and Thomas were living at Maesydderwen, George Street, Abercarn. Thomas was working as a Timberman below ground. Bridget’s sons, Charles and George, now called Peterson, were present as was Vincent Lloyd. Charles was working as a Builder’s General Labourer; George as a Colliery Haulier (Below Ground) and Vincent as a Fruit & Vegetable Salesman. Present too was Bridget’s married daughter Honora Hopley and her son Joseph. Honora’s husband was living at Saint Vincent’s Orthopaedic Hospital, Wiltshire Lane, Eastcote, Pinner, Ruislip. He was working as a Boot Making Instructor. It may be that Honora had moved back to Wales to avoid the approaching war in London. Honora’s sister, Eileen Mary Peterson, was living and working as a Hospital Nurse in the same hospital as Honora’s husband at that time which could perhaps have been how they met.

In September 1939 Bridget’s daughter, Lilian Knight, and her husband Arthur were living at 2 Beech Terrace, Abercarn, where Lilian’s family had lived in 1911 and 1921. Arthur was working as a Burner & Welder (General) at a Tinplate Works. With them was their daughter, Joan and probably their second child, John though his name was not disclosed. 

It isn’t certain where Edward Petersen was at this time, but someone of that name, born on 29 September 1909, was living at 28 Forest Hill, Lewisham, London in the home of Joseph and Elizabeth A Payne. Edward was working as a Neon Tube Glass Bender.

Sadly, Edward was killed in action on 17 October, 1944 between De Rips and Venray.

His mother, Bridget C Lloyd, had died in the Caerleon district of Monmouthshire (which included Abercarn) in 1942, so she would not have known of her son’s death. Thomas Lloyd died in 1947 in the same district.

Edward’s brother, Charles John Eugene Peterson (known as Eugene) also served in WW2. He joined the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 1941 (Service No. 11051176). On 8 September 1941 he was assigned to the 61st (Middlesex) Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment. By December that year it was in Iraq and Persia serving with the 8th AA Brigade in the Tenth Army. It moved in March 1942 to Egypt to bolster the anti aircraft defences of the Suez Canal. It was relieved at Suez in September. In October, at the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein, it was part of 17th AA Brigade, assigned to the Eighth Army and held in reserve for the breakthrough and advance into Libya. In January 1943, as the Eighth Army swept westwards, it defended the port of Tobruk and its airfields at El Adem and Gambut. It was still in these positions in May when the Tunisian Campaign ended. The regiment was not involved in the assault phase of the Allied invasion of Sicily but moved to the island when it became the base for the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943. By January 1944 the regiment was defending the port of Augusta. It crossed to mainland Italy in September 1944 and helped defend the ports of Bari, Barletta, Brindisi and Manfredonia in Apulia. In April 1945, as part of the Allied breakthrough, it was sent across Italy to join 66th AA Brigade. The brigade was sent 100 miles north to defend Genoa, and it was AA advance parties who actually captured the city with little difficulty. Early in May the requirement for AA defence ended when the Surrender of Caserta came into force. On 12 May 1945 Eugene was posted to the RACC (Royal Army Catering Corps.)

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records
Wikipedia – 23rd Hussars
War Diary – 23rd Hussars
Website: The Tin Bucket Local History Circle De Rips- News Brief No 13 – Acts of War in The Rips autumn 1944 – 1945.
Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942 – CJE Peterson
Wikipedia 61st HAA – 61st (Middlesex) HAA Regiment

Research Elaine Gathercole