Pte
William Henry White
Information about birth
|
Year of birth: 1893 |
|
Place of birth: Clydebank, Victoria, Australia |
General information
|
Profession: Fisherman |
|
Religion: Church of England |
Army information
|
Country: Australia |
|
Force: Australian Imperial Force |
|
Rank: Private |
|
Service number: 743 |
|
Enlistment date: 06/03/1916 |
|
Enlistment place: Sale, Victoria, Australia |
|
Units: — Australian Infantry, 37th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
|
Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
|
Place of death: Waterfields, Passchendaele, Belgium |
|
Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
|
Age: 24 |
Cemetery
|
Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XX Row: E Grave: 4 |
Distinctions and medals 2
|
British War Medal Medal |
|
Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
William Henry White was the son of William and Georgina White. He was born around 1893 in Clydebank, Victoria. Before the war he worked as a fisherman. William enlisted in the Australian Army and served in the 37th Battalion Australian Infantry Regiment (10th Brigade, 3rd Division).
William was killed on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 37th Battalion launched the attack towards Augustus Wood with the objective of advancing to Crest Farm. The attack started at 5:25 a.m. The artillery and machine-gun fire during the advance was heavy. Pillboxes were assaulted and German soldiers were taken prisoner. The battalion reached its objective but was unable to consolidate. The unit therefore withdrew about 50 yards and dug in under machine-gun fire.
The shelling on the battalion headquarters, which was located at Hamburg Farm, was also heavy. The remaining officers and men in the frontline established themselves in new positions about 100 yards further back. Stretcher bearers were busy evacuating the wounded, a difficult task: not only did the condition of the ground hinder the evacuation, but the constant shelling of the aid post near Dab Trench also made providing first aid difficult. The stretcher bearers themselves were not safe from the shellfire.
The captured line was held and a connection was made with the New Zealanders on their left and the 9th Australian Brigade on their right. There were no further German attempts to launch a counterattack. The number of casualties was high: 28 killed, 179 wounded and 37 missing.
William was killed at the age of 24. According to his service record, he was buried near Augustus Wood. After the war, his body was found near Waterfields. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
William was killed on 12 October 1917 during the First Battle of Passchendaele, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 37th Battalion launched the attack towards Augustus Wood with the objective of advancing to Crest Farm. The attack started at 5:25 a.m. The artillery and machine-gun fire during the advance was heavy. Pillboxes were assaulted and German soldiers were taken prisoner. The battalion reached its objective but was unable to consolidate. The unit therefore withdrew about 50 yards and dug in under machine-gun fire.
The shelling on the battalion headquarters, which was located at Hamburg Farm, was also heavy. The remaining officers and men in the frontline established themselves in new positions about 100 yards further back. Stretcher bearers were busy evacuating the wounded, a difficult task: not only did the condition of the ground hinder the evacuation, but the constant shelling of the aid post near Dab Trench also made providing first aid difficult. The stretcher bearers themselves were not safe from the shellfire.
The captured line was held and a connection was made with the New Zealanders on their left and the 9th Australian Brigade on their right. There were no further German attempts to launch a counterattack. The number of casualties was high: 28 killed, 179 wounded and 37 missing.
William was killed at the age of 24. According to his service record, he was buried near Augustus Wood. After the war, his body was found near Waterfields. His remains were reburied at Tyne Cot Cemetery, where he found his final resting place.
Sources 4
|
37th Australian Infantry Battalion, (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/54/16). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
|
First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455 WHITE W H). https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/ Sources used |
|
McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele: The Day by Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour Press, 1995), 129-130. Sources used |
|
Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used |
More information 4
|
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/465148 |
|
Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=bf97d4b9-6c22-4ae6-b0ca-4a5c12a8b46b |
|
Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7288770 |
|
The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=321644 |