Peter Wishart was born on 12 September 1891 at 25 Barrack Street in Dundee. He was the eldest of nine children born to David Wishart, a local jute millworker, and his wife, Mary Gordon. In 1901 the family were living at 18 Dens Road, and four years later Peter joined his father working in the jute mills.

He enlisted in the Territorial Forces sometime before August 1914 and was immediately called up when war was declared and joined the Army Service Corps. Peter was posted to France with the BEF on 20 August 1914 and on arrival, was sent to 6th Reserve Park, which was a Horse Transport Company.

In his book Army Service Corps 1902 – 1918, author Mike Young writes that:

The Reserve Parks acted as mobile reserve (of rations and forage) in the event of a breakdown in the normal replenishment chain.

A Reserve Park’s task was to carry two days reserves of iron rations (1lb of preserved meat, 1lb of biscuits. 5/8oz ounces tea, 2 oz of sugar and 2 x cubes of meat extract 1 oz in a tin) with groceries for a (Infantry) Division as well as a day of groceries and oats for a Cavalry divison. Groceries included tea, sugar, tinned milk, bacon, jam and cheese.

Unfortunately, Peter’s service papers have not survived so his war cannot be fully documented; however, it is known that in the spring of 1918 he was awarded the Military Medal.

After the war, Peter met and married Margaret Brown Crichton in Dundee on 20 September 1923 and three children were born of the marriage. He died during 1982 in Lochee.

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