Private Peter B Lalor

Peter Bernard Lalor, the son of Capt. Joseph Peter Lalor, AIF, killed at Gallipoli, 25 April, 1915, and of Hester Lalor (nee Loughrey), of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. MA, LLB (University of Melbourne) enlisted into The King’s Royal Rifle Corps in early 1939 and was serving in the Middle East when he volunteered for Airborne Forces.

He did Parachute Course K31 in Palestine, 5 to 16 April 1943.

He was a member of the Defence Platoon, 4th Parachute Brigade Headquarters on Operation ‘Slapstick’, which was the naval landing by the 1st Airborne Division at the Italian port of Taranto in September 1943.

He was killed in action on the road south of Castellaneta on the 11 September 1943. Peter was 28 years old when he was killed.

Peter now lies at rest in Bari War Cemetery, II. A. 18.

NOTE: From available Records it appears that the men of the Defence Platoon, 4th Parachute Brigade Headquarters were not shown as members of The Parachute Regiment until late 1944. Therefore Pte. Lalor and his five comrades killed on the 11/09/1943 are only shown as attachments on the CWGC web-site.