SAPPER ARTHUR JOHN WHITE

4505 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

Born in Woolstone, Berkshire, England on 29 April 1884, Arthur was a single farm hand when he signed the Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad on 25 February 1916 in Perth, Western Australia. He underwent a medical examination on the same day, which found him fit for active service, ‘subject to dental attention’. Although it doesn’t appear on his military records, Arthur had a weakened heart, the result of a bout of Rheumatic Fever at the age of 14.

Arthur gave his postal address as Gnowangerup, Western Australia. Gnowangerup is approximately 150km north of Albany and 350km south east of Perth.

He stated that he had served 3 years of a grocery apprenticeship with Chamberlain & Son in England. He stated his age as 31 years 10 months. Arthur was 5ft 10in tall, weighed 145lbs with a florid complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. He named his mother, Sarah Jane White of Oxleaze Farm, Woolstone, Berkshire, England as his Next of Kin, and stated that his father was deceased.

Arthur trained as a Private soldier at No.1 Area, Blackboy Hill, until 10 March 1916 when he was appointed to the 1st Reinforcements, No. 6 Tunnelling Company, by Captain Lawson, Officer in Command of that unit.

He embarked at Fremantle on board HMAT A69 Warilda on 1 June 1916 with 1116 other members of the 4th, 5th and 6th Tunnelling Companies, disembarking at Plymouth, England on 18 July 1916.

After about a months training at Perham Downs to prepare him for the Front, he proceeded overseas to France on 28 August 1916, marching in to the 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot. From there he was transferred to the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion on 18 October, then to Australian Tunnelling Details from where he was attached to the 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company on 26 October 1916 for training in tunnelling and mining in a theatre of war.

Arthur was then transferred to the 3rd Australian Tunnelling Company, where he was taken on strength on 31 January 1917. He worked with the unit until 8 April 17 when he reported sick to the 73 Field Ambulance and admitted to the General Hospital, St Omer on 8 April with the mumps, not rejoining his unit until 28 April 1917.

His work with the unit was again interrupted on 8 November 1917 when he was admitted to 34 Field Ambulance with dental caries. He was transferred to 18 Casualty Clearing Station on the same day, and transferred again to 58 Casualty Clearing Station on 9 November, where he was admitted for treatment. He rejoined his unit 17 November 1917.

On 11 March 1918 he was admitted to the 1st Field Ambulance with myalgia (muscular pain), again rejoining his unit 22 March.

Arthur again found himself in the medical world when he reported sick to 34 Field Ambulance on 27 June 1917 with P.U.O. (pyrexia of unknown origin). He was admitted to 22 Casualty Clearing Station, and on 2 July was transferred to L of C hospital, then on to 83rd General Hospital at Boulogne. On 20 July he was transferred to 10 Convalescent Camp at Ecault. On 26 July he was transferred to the Australian Convalescent Depot at Le Havre for continued recuperation until 10 August when he was transferred back to Australian General Base Depot at Le Havre, rejoining his unit 18 September 1918.

Arthur enjoyed some leave from the Front between 17 October and 3 November 1918 and embarked for England on 18 February 1919, where he was taken on strength at A.I.F. Headquarters.

He was granted leave with pay only from 18 February to 8 May 1919, the reason recorded being ‘farming, attending c/o Mrs. White, Oxleaze Farm, Woolstone, Farrington, Berkshire’.

He was then granted an extension of his leave from 9 May 1919 to 22 August 1919, with pay and subsistence (extension & transfer), for ‘Non-Military Employment’ - reason ‘Dairy Farming attending c/o G. Fuller, Worminghall, Thame, England’

This Leave was cancelled on 11 August 1919 and he was returned to the 3rd Tunnelling Company, where he was immediately granted leave; to report to Headquarters on 26 August 1919. From Headquarters he was moved to No. 2 Group, Sutton Veny, for return to Australia.

Postcard of Ypres - Nothing was written on the back so the image must have been important to Arthur asI think it is the only thing he broughtback.

Arthur left England on 11 September 1919 per Plassy for the voyage home, disembarking in Fremantle on 17 October 1919.

Sapper Arthur John White was discharged in 5th Military District (Western Australia) on 10 December 1919, entitled to wear the British War Medal no. 11279 and Victory Medal no. 11148.

Whilst on leave in England Arthur was introduced to Dorothy Margaret Louise Wentworth, and he wrote to her after he returned to Australia. Early in 1924, Arthur and Dorothy made arrangements for her to join him in Australia and she duly arrived at Fremantle on 19 August 1924. The couple were married within 2 hours of Dorothy’s’ arrival and the couple raised 5 children; Nancy, John, Margaret, Joy and Norman.

Arthur John White died on 15 May 1942 and is buried in the Gnowangerup Cemetery. Dorothy died on 16 April 1975 and is buried with Arthur.

His brother 4506 Sapper Frank Herbert White served in the same unit as Arthur.

© Donna Baldey

Compiled with the assistance of Merilyn Todhunter, granddaughter of Arthur White.

All photos provided by Merilyn & James Todhunter. Merilyn is compiling a history and can be contacted through this website.