Paul Oscar PEUSTER [1881-1942]
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Submitted by Admin on Mon, 2017-06-05 14:07
Sex:
Male
Status:
Deceased
He is buried in plot 18---/03/04- of the Protestant cemetery at Happy Valley, together with another family member who also died in 1942. His gravestone reads:
In loving memory of
Paul Oscar Peuster
born 7th July 1881
died 3rd June 1942
Yin King [Cheng] Peuster
born 12th August 190? (last digit not clear, maybe "6")
died 18th February 1970
Paul William Peuster
born 14th October 1925
died 9th August 1942
Always in our thoughts
your children and grandchildren
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Comments
There is a "Paul Oskar
There is a "Paul Oskar Peuster" in the 1911 Jurors List:
Also a "Paul Oscar Peuster" mentioned in the "5 Jun 1942, Chronology of Events Related to Stanley Civilian Internment Camp".
I guess they all refer to the same person as the Emil Oscar Peuster mentioned above. [Edit, now confirmed all entries refer to Paul, see comments below.]
Paul / Emil
Henry Ching writes:
I am intrigued by the post dated 5th June headed “Emil Oscar Peuster (1881-1942)”. From the inscription on his gravestone it would appear that he had a son named Paul William Peuster who is buried with him (died aged 17), together with Paul William’s mother who was Chinese. Both father and son died in 1942. Strange coincidence that father and son died within a couple of months of each other as they were separated, with the father alone being interned without his family according to the list of internees in Greg’s “Captives of Empire”.
Paul William’s mother died many years later after the war, but she was buried together with her husband and son and this would appear to indicate there were other relatives who survived the Japanese occupation. I have found an Edward Paul Peuster who was a Corporal in the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) many years after the war, and who was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Awards in 1981. I wonder if he was another son or perhaps a grandson?
I wonder where Emil Oscar is referred to by this name? The other references I have found, including his gravestone, all appear to give his name as Paul Oscar.
Peuster is very much a German name, and I wonder also if Emil Oscar was a naturalised British Subject which resulted in his being interned.
A fascinating family I have not previously come across.
Henry's description of the gravestone didn't match up with the inscription we have, so I took a look at the gravestone image.
The original transcription has several mistakes. Here's my updated copy, changes in bold.
In loving memory of
Emil Oscar Peuster
born 7th July 1881
died 3rd June 1942
Yin King [Cheng] Peuster
born 12th August 1925
died 18th February 1942
Paul William Peuster
born 14th October 1925
died 9th August 1942
Always in our thoughts
your children and grandchildren
In loving memory of
Paul Oscar Peuster
born 7th July 1881
died 3rd June 1942
Yin King [Cheng] Peuster
born 12th August 190? (last digit not clear, maybe "6")
died 18th February 1970
Paul William Peuster
born 14th October 1925
died 9th August 1942
Always in our thoughts
your children and grandchildren
I've updated the details at the top of the page to match.