Page 46 - Memorial Groves

PLAQUE NO 76:
PLAQUE NO 75: ‘ a Capt. Peter Renbury Jacoby (1931-35)

Sgt Norman Ross Buchanan modest

(1934-36) 2/32 Battalion
Killed In Action: El Alamein
prince 22 October 1942. Age 25
223 Squadron RAF Peter lived in Crawley. His father, Arthur Jacoby was the general manager of the Swan Brewery
Died on Active Service: North Africa among men, Company. Peter was an only child. He attended Hale School from 1931 to 1935 and was a prefect in
25 September 1942. Aged 22 1934 and Captain of School in 1935. He was captain of athletics and won the 440 yards at the Inters
beloved in 1934 and ‘35; he was in the swimming team for all of his years at the School and was also captain
Ross was born in 1920 and attended Hale School as a of the School rifle team. Although not a big person Peter was the School boxing champion - at the
boarder from ‘ Ferndale ‘, Cookernup. annual speech night a boxer had to be impressed from outside the School fraternity to satisfactorily
by all compete against him. He was also the junior sailing champion of the Royal Perth Yacht Club.
At school he was the champion boxer for his weight, was
in the 1st XI cricket team, the first XVIII and the Inters- who knew After leaving School, he studied law at university and while there served as a Lieutenant in the City
athletics team. of Perth Regiment.
him.’
After leaving school, he joined Elder Smiths in Perth and When war broke out he was in Melbourne and he joined the army there. He eventually linked up
after war broke out he joined the Royal Australian Air with the Western Australian 2/32nd Australian infantry battalion at Colchester in England in 1941
Force and trained as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner (Hale School had had a close association with the original 32nd Battalion throughout the 1st World
through the Empire Air Training Scheme. He became the War - being the source of the 32nd ‘Comfort Fund.’)
Inter-Services Boxing Champion in 1941, when he knocked
out the army representative in the final after being behind He then travelled with his battalion to the North African Theatre of Operations and was involved as
on points for most of the match. a company commander in the eight month siege of Tobruk in 1941. The battalion was evacuated
from Tobruk and the following year was part of the build-up of General Montgomery’s 8th Army for
After a time for further training in Rhodesia, he was posted the eventual showdown against German Field Marshal Rommel’s Afrika Korps
to No 223 Squadron of the Royal Air Force for operational
flying in North Africa against Rommel’s Afrika Korps. He He was shot by a sniper on 22 October 1942, on the eve of the Battle of El Alamein, while on a
died on active service as the result of an aircraft accident reconnaissance patrol in front of his battalion lines. He was picked up by some of his men but was
during the period preceding the Battle of El Alamein. shot again as he was being carried in and died a short time later.

Dedicated by his family Mr Frank Wilson, son of former Headmaster, Mathew Wilson, who lodged with Peter at St George’s
Placed by his Haleian brother, Mr Alan Buchanan (1934- College when they attended the University of W.A. together, described Peter as: ‘a modest prince
35), who had travelled from Adelaide and his sister Mrs among men, beloved by all who knew him.’
Patricia Welsh.
Dedicated and placed by Mr Ross Sweet, whose association was through his father-in-law,
Mr Loris Neumann, who served with Peter Jacoby in the 2/32nd Battalion at Tobruk and at El
Alamein in 1941 and 1942.