WHITE, Frederick Keith
| Service Number: | 5135 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 March 1918 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 33rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bowraville, New South Wales, Australia, 3 August 1899 |
| Home Town: | Bellingen, Bellingen, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Bellingham State School, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation: | Motor cab driver |
| Died: | Wounds, United Kingdom, 17 May 1918, aged 18 years |
| Cemetery: |
Brighton Borough Cemetery, East Sussex, England Kitchener Military Hospital, Brighton, Sussex, England , Brighton City Cemetery (Bear Road), Brighton, Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bellingen Methodist Church Memorial Gates, Bellingen War Memorial, Bellinger River Methodist Church Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 10 May 1917: | Involvement Private, 5135, 30th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '16' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Marathon embarkation_ship_number: A74 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 May 1917: | Embarked Private, 5135, 30th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Marathon, Sydney | |
| 5 Feb 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 33rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 15 Mar 1918: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5135, 30th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Apr 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 5135, 33rd Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918, Sniped in head at Villers Bretonneaux, died of wounds England | |
| 17 May 1918: | Involvement Private, 5135, 33rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5135 awm_unit: 33rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1918-05-17 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 17th May.... Private Frederick Keith White was born at Bowraville, NSW in 1899. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 15th March, 1917 as an 18 year old Motor Car Driver from Bellingen, NSW.
Private Frederick Keith White embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Marathon (A74) on 10th May, 1917 with the 30th Infantry Battalion, 14th Reinforcements. He disembarked at Devonport, England on 20th July, 1917 & was posted to 8th Training Battalion at Hurdcott, Wiltshire from Australia on 20th July, 1917.
Private White was sent sick then admitted to Fovant Hospital, Wiltshire on 30th August, 1917 from 8th Training Battalion at Hurdcott with Hypertophy of Tonsils. The Hospital Admissions form recorded: “Two hypertrophied tonsils removed after acute symptoms had subsided. Healed.” He was discharged on 17th September, 1917 to 8th Training Battalion at Hurdcott.
Private White was transferred to 14th Training Battalion at Codford, Wiltshire on 5th November, 1917. He proceeded to France on 5th February, 1918 & was posted to Australian Infantry Base Depot at Rouelles, France on 6th February, 1918. He was marched out to the Front on 7th February, 1918 & joined 33rd Battalion on 12th February, 1918.
Private Frederick Keith White was wounded in action on 4th April, 1918 at Villers Bretonneux.He was admitted to Field Ambulance with GSW (gunshot wound/s) to head then transferred to Hospital at Abbeville, France on 5th April, 1918. Private White was invalided to England on 18th April, 1918 on Hospital Ship Cambria.
Private White was admitted to Kitchener Military Hospital, Brighton, Sussex, England on 19th April, 1918 dangerously ill with G.S.W. to head.
The Red Cross Wounded & Missing file for Private Frederick Keith White contains several updates in regards to his condition.
• From Gertrude G. Black, 25 Grand Parade, Brighton – dated 5th May, 1918 – “I saw the patient yesterday and I went up again today. He is suffering from a wound in the back of the head which has paralysed his right arm. He had no pain and was quite able to chat. He told me he had sent a cable at week-end rates to his people a few days ago. The danger lies in the event of an abscess forming on the brain and this is the reason for his being on the danger list. An operation is to be performed tomorrow morning and I will find out the result in the afternoon and write or wire you then, when a better opinion can be given. His present condition is satisfactory and at his request I am writing to his Mother.”
• From Gertrude G. Black, Red X Visitor – dated 6th May, 1918 – “His condition, after the operation to-day is satisfactory.”
• From Gertrude G. Black, Red X Visitor – dated 11th May, 1918 – “I am sorry to say that his condition is critical. This afternoon when I saw him his temperature was high and he had been delirious for some hours. The sister tells me there is not much hope of his recovering and if he does, the brain would be affected and he would be paralysed on one side. I wrote his parents a few days ago that he was badly wounded but was in a satisfactory state then. The great distance dividing these boys from their homes makes it so hard for them both, in these terrible times. Whatever happens I will write to his people again later.”
Private Frederick Keith White died at 9.25 am on 17th May, 1918 at Kitchener Military Hospital, Brighton, Sussex, England from wounds received in action - Bullet wound(s) to Head, Cerebral Abscess & Septicaemia.
Private Frederick Keith White was buried at 2 pm on 21st May, 1918 in Brighton City (Bear Road) Cemetery, East Sussex, England where 28 other WW1 Australian (or connected to Australia) War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/bear-road.html
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