Peter Chitty

Leslie Allan "Peter" Chitty BEM (11 March 1912 – 27 March 1996) was an Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was a prisoner of war held at Changi prison during the Second World War. Chitty won the only "Changi Brownlow" medal to be awarded as part of the Changi Australian rules football competition. In 2024, it was reported in the Corryong Courier that an Australian red ensign bearing the words "Changi '41 '42" and "Chitty flag" had been discovered, which may have flown over the game where Chitty was awarded the Changi Brownlow.

Youth Born in Corryong, Victoria, Chitty grew up on the family dairy farm near Corryong and, along with his brother Bob Chitty, became a leading footballer in the region for Cudgewa. Struck down by injuries, this was to be his last VFL match. and was posted to the 2/9 Field Ambulance Convoy, initially as a Private before gaining the rank of Corporal. One of four brothers to enlist, Chitty was sent to Singapore on 1 March 1941 and was stationed with the Australian General Hospital in Malaya when he was captured during the Fall of Singapore in March 1942 and reported missing on 26 March 1942

Chitty had three brothers, Arthur, Ronald, and Phillip, who also enlisted in the Army. All three served in the North Africa Campaign, Private Arthur Chitty with 2/23 Battalion and Ronald and Phillip with 2/2 Field Ambulance. Arthur was killed in action at El Alamein on 22 July 1942 while Privates Ronald and Phillip Chitty were taken prisoner by the Germans. They were repatriated in 1943 and visited their brother's grave in North Africa in September that year. During this time, Chitty carried a fellow soldier who was dying of malaria more than along the Railway, partly for which, on 6 March 1947, he was awarded the British Empire Medal.

After being repatriated at the end of World War II, Chitty was aboard the Largs Bay returning to Australia when the 1945 VFL Grand Final between South Melbourne and Carlton was being played. As Chitty's brother Bob was captaining Carlton, Chitty organised a syndicate and bet everything they had (which was beer) on a Carlton win. In an upset, Carlton defeated South Melbourne, and Chitty enjoyed his beers.

Post-war Chitty arrived back in Australia in October 1945. After two months recovering in hospital, Chitty was discharged on 5 December 1945.

Chitty died in 1996, aged 84, survived by his widow, Lillian, two sons, Lindsay and Roger and two daughters, Dawn and Roslyn.