Harold James Peters was born on 17 July 1894 in Swansea. He was the sixth of the seven children of Joseph John Peters and Harriett Mitchell. He was baptized 2 weeks later at St Mary’s, Swansea. The Parish records gave his parents address as 18 Princess Street and his fathers occupation as a Baker.

His Grandson kindly added Harold was never a Harry. His father was a master baker (third generation) who owned two baker shops in Swansea.

The next record relating to Harold is the 1901 Census. He is shown as 7 years old and living with his father and 6 siblings at the same address on Princess Street. By 1911, he had moved with 3 of his siblings to live with the Carman family at 106 Oxford Street and in the census, he is shown as 16 years old and had started work as a Wagon Repairer at the Railway Company Wagon Works.

In 1912, Harold joined the local Territorial Royal Field Artillery and when war was declared in August 1914, he was embodied for War Service and from that time onwards, would have seen little of his family and friends other than a few short periods of leave. His Grandson recounted: My grandmother told me once that when he came home on leave on one occasion his uniform was so infested that she had to burn it completely.

Following the War, Harold was demobilized in March 1919 and shortly after married his Ovel Maud Stone in Swansea. His Grandson added I’m not sure if they knew each other before the war and if they ever exchanged letters, however, I do know that my grandfather sent postcards. Ovel (she hated that name) and was always known as Maud.

Harold and Maud moved to 57 Neath Road, Swansea shortly after and were there at the time of the 1921 census, where Harold was listed as Out of Work.

Harold and Maud went on to adopt their only child. His grandson explained My grandparents adopted my father. They were unable to have children and my fathers birth parents remained life long friends of my grandmother. My father was named after his birth mothers brother (John) who was killed in action in 1917 at Passchendaele.

Harold eventually found work at Weavers & Co flour Mill. In the 1939 Register, the family (Harold, Maud and John) was living at 8 Vivian Street and he was listed as a Mess Room Steward, Flour Mill.

Harold James Peters passed away at Hill House Hospital, Sketty on 19 July 1972at the age of 78 as a result of complications relating to his long-standing Tuberculosis. Hi Grandson concluded: My childhood memories was standing on a brick outside his hospital window (Hill House Hospital) every Sunday, only allowed visitors once weekly and children weren’t allowed on the ward. He had TB and he was admitted many times.

My grandparents lived next door to us. My grandfather was a very quiet, gentle and hard working family man. He would have a pint of beer and played darts which he was very good at. I never saw him drunk, he never raised his voice and I never saw him argue. My grandparents were very close and happy. He loved his green house and retired from Weavers & Co Ltd (which became part of Rank Hovis McDougall).

Harold Peters joined the 1st Welsh (Howitzer) Brigade at the age of 17 on 3 April 1912 and was given the Brigade Service number of 617. Unfortunately, his service record was destroyed during the Blitz, however by coupling the surviving scraps of official information available with a number of documents passed down through his family, it is possible to piece together much of his service.

Harrold enlisted in Swansea, the home of the 1st Glamorgan Battery. It is therefore likely that he was a member of this unit when he joined the Brigade.

As a member of the Territorial Force, Harold would have attended regular evening drill sessions as well as annual summer camps. When War was declared in August 1914, it is likely that Harold, along with the rest of the Brigade, had just arrived on Salisbury Plain for their annual summer camp.

The Brigade quickly returned to Swansea and then moved immediately to Shrewsbury where the Welsh Territorial Division concentrated. After about 3 weeks, the Division moved again to Northampton where they trained until December 1914.

Shortly before Christmas 1914, the Brigade moved to Cambridge where they remained until May 1915 when they moved to Bedford.

In November 1915, as they prepared to move overseas, a photograph of the Brigade NCOs was published in a local newspaper. Bdr Harold Peters is included in the back row, confirming that by this time he had been promoted.

Harold’s Medal Index Card states that he, along with the rest of the Brigade, travelled from Southampton to Le Havre on the night of 21/22 November 1915. From there they moved to the Somme area, where they underwent further training, including a period in the front-line South-East of Albert (an area that marked the southern edge of the Somme battlefield just 6 months later).

Just before Christmas 1915, the Brigade withdrew from the front-line and in January 1916, received orders to rejoin the rest of the 53rd Welsh Division in Egypt.

Harolds family and his surviving papers confirm that Harold served in Egypt, so it is likely he travelled with the Brigade from Marseilles to Alexandria in Feb 1916 and moved to Beni Salama, North of Cairo to acclimatise and meet up with the rest of the Welsh Division (who had taken terrible losses in Gallipoli). During this period, the men had plenty of spare time and many of them took the opportunity to visit Cairo.

In May 1916, the Brigade took over a sector of the defences of the Suez Canal near Ismalia. This was hot and dull work and not much happened. Later in the year, General Murray decided attack was the best form of defence and in November 1916 they started the hot, thirsty and difficult march across the Sinai Desert.

In 1917, the Brigade was involved in the 3 Battles of Gaza and the victorious march into Jerusalem and in 1918, they pushed the Turkish Army back through Palestine and the Judaen Hills until the Armistice with the Turkish Army. The last phase of the war was marked with terrible sickness - Malaria killed many more men than action and Bdr Peters pension record confirms that he suffered from the disease after the War.

The Brigade finally returned to Alexandria for a victory parade and started to return home to demobilise in Feb/Mar 1919 and a pension record confirms that Bdr Peters was demobilised on 16 March 1919.

Harold was finally discharged in 1920 and surviving papers state that his final unit was C/265 Bde (C Battery of 265 Brigade). This was the final name of the 1st Battery after a number of restructurings, so it is reasonable to assume that he served with them throughout the War.

His grandson added: I know my grandfather was in Egypt, he had a water colour prints book of Egypt that he dated but he never spoke of the war.

For his service in the Great War, Bombadier Harold Peters was awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Harold was also entitled to received the Territorial Efficiency Medal to recognise his long and good service which was finally awarded to him in 1933 .

In the Second War War, Harold joined the Home Guard and was later awarded the Defence Medal. His Grandson concluded: Although he worked for Weavers he didn’t join their unit due to the OIC not serving in the WWI.