WHITTLE, John Woods
| Service Numbers: | 347, 2902 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 August 1915, Claremont, Tasmania |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Huon Island, Tasmania, Australia, 3 August 1882 |
| Home Town: | Rosebery, West Coast, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Soldier |
| Died: | Cerebral Haemorrhage , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2 March 1946, aged 63 years |
| Cemetery: |
Rookwood Cemeteries & Crematorium, New South Wales |
| Memorials: | Canberra John Hamilton VC Pictorial Honour Roll, Hobart Roll of Honour, Keith Payne VC Memorial Park, North Bondi War Memorial, Tasmanian Amateur Athletics Association, Winchelsea WWI Memorial |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 347, 2nd Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| 6 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Claremont, Tasmania | |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Oct 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2902, 26th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ulysses, Melbourne | |
| 27 Oct 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2902, 26th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ulysses embarkation_ship_number: A38 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Aug 1917: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He showed great initiative in reorganizing his men and capturing an enemy strong point, which was holding up the advance.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 133 Date: 21 August 1917 | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Honoured Victoria Cross, 'For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on two occasions. When in command of a platoon, the enemy, under cover of an intense artillery barrage, attacked the small trench he was holding. Owing to weight of numbers the enemy succeeded in entering the trench, and it was owing to Sergeant Whittle personally collecting all available men and charging the enemy that the position was regained. On the second occasion when the enemy broke through the left of our line, Segeant Whittle's own splendid example was the means of keeping the men well in hand. His platoon were suffering heavy casualties and the enemy endeavoured to bring up a machine gun to enfilade the position. Grasping the situation, he rushed alone across the fire swept ground and attacked the hostile gun crew with bombs before the gun could be got into action. He succeeded in killing the whole crew and in bringing back the machine gun to our position.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 169 Date: 4 October 1917 | |
| 22 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 2902, 12th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Kearney
Whittle, John Woods (1882–1946)
by Stephen Allen
John Woods Whittle, soldier, was born on 3 August 1882 at Huon Island, near Gordon, Tasmania, son of Henry Whittle, labourer, and his wife Catherine, née Sullivan. John enlisted as a private in Tasmania's 4th (2nd Imperial Bushmen) Contingent which reached South Africa on 24 April 1901, saw action in the Cape Colony and returned to Tasmania in June 1902. Soon after, he enlisted in the Royal Navy and served for five years as a stoker before joining the Permanent Military Forces. On 23 July 1909 at the archbishop's house, Hobart, he married with Catholic rites Emily Margaret Roland; they were to have six children.
Transferring to the Australian Imperial Force on 6 August 1915, Whittle was given the rank of acting corporal and in October sailed as a reinforcement for the 26th Battalion. By April 1916 he was in France with the 12th Battalion. Wounded in action on 18 June, he was promoted sergeant in October. Early in 1917 he was involved in the fighting during the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg line. At dawn on 27 February his battalion attacked the outpost villages of Le Barque and Ligny-Thilloy. On the left flank with Captain J. E. Newland's 'A' Company, Whittle bombed an enemy machine-gun post, forced the Germans to flee and won the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/whittle-john-woods-9088 (adb.anu.edu.au)
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