WHITEHEAD, Eric
| Service Number: | 545 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 December 1914, Broadmeadows, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Second Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 8th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | South Yarra, Victoria, Australia, October 1890 |
| Home Town: | Minhamite, Moyne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Geelong College, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Gallipoli, 7 August 1915 |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Geelong College WW1 Roll of Honour, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing, Oakleigh Avenue of Honour, Wagga Wagga Cenotaph |
World War 1 Service
| 29 Dec 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 545, Broadmeadows, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Feb 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 545, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of Victoria embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Feb 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 545, 8th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Star of Victoria, Melbourne | |
| 16 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 545, 8th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 7 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 8th Light Horse Regiment, The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 8 Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Second Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1915-08-07 | |
| 7 Aug 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 8th Light Horse Regiment |
2nd Lt Eric Whitehead
From Gallipoli 1915
Second Lieutenant Henry Eric Whitehead (served as Eric Whitehead), 8th Australian Light Horse Regiment, A.I.F., was killed in action at The Nek on 7th August 1915.
His friend, Lieutenant Leslie Norman Hurst, remembered him in a letter home:
"Poor old Eric Whitehead got his "oil," as we term it, here; he made good alright: turned out one of the hardest grafters and best soldiers in his regiment, and was popular with every one, and was noted for his flow of language, which means a lot over here. He died in a charge, which must equal any for bravery and dare-devilry, because those fellows faced Hell if ever man did, and did it with a smile.” [1]
[1] 'Geelong Advertiser' (Victoria), 1st January 1916.
Submitted 10 March 2019 by Evan Evans
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