Peters began the First World War as a lieutenant and retired in 1919 as a commander after receiving the Distinguished Service Cross. He divided the interwar years between Canada, Britain, and the Gold Coast before volunteering for Royal Navy service again in October 1939. Command of an anti-submarine vessel brought a bar to his DSC, followed by appointment as captain for special services. He was fifty-three when Operation Reservist demanded exposed, physical leadership under point-blank fire. The career makes his return to combat as important as the final action: a decorated retiree deliberately accepted a role built around hazardous small-ship operations.
Chapter · 2:05:24-2:10:05
Frederick Peters returns to war for special service
A retired First World War commander returns in 1939 and volunteers for a hazardous special-service mission at age fifty-three.