Component PI-81-53.2 (2) - "A prettier dump you never did see" : excerpts from the H. Vernon Peters letters

Herbert Vernon Peters was born on October 9, 1912 in Streatham, London, England. He worked for the Somerset County Council before enlisting in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in November 1940. Posted to Canada, Peters arrived at the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan station No. 33 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) in Caron, Saskatchewan on December 3, 1941. Ranked as a leading air craftman, Peters worked in the Registry Office, with a staff of five. He also helped establish a theatre, reading centre, and stables for horse riding at the school. Peters was subsequently promoted to Corporal and remained in Caron until June 1943, when he was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer and transferred to No. 36 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) in Penhold, Alberta. Peters worked as assistant station adjutant and with the Maintenance Wing and was involved in conducting regular drills, inspections, and parades with men in his unit. Peters completed an officers' training course in Moncton, New Brunswick while awaiting embarkation to England. He returned to England in March 1944 and was posted to 180 RAF Squadron. He was released from service in May 1946.

Peters married Vera Cottrell in Taunton, Somerset on September 6, 1941. Vera Peters remained in Taunton during her husband's posting in Canada. Sources suggest that the Peters' had at least one child.