WHITMORE, John William
| Service Number: | 5976 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 April 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 12th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Fingal, Tasmania, Australia, 31 July 1878 |
| Home Town: | Pioneer, Dorset, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, 6 April 1944, aged 65 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Carr Villa Memorial Park, Tasmania |
| Memorials: | Pioneer Anglican Church Honor Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5976, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 5976, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 5976, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Hobart |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
John William Whitmore was the eldest of four Tasmanian brothers who served overseas in the AIF during WW1. John was a married man, working as a miner at Pioneer.
John was almost 38 years of age when he enlisted for WW1 in 1916, returning to Tasmania in mid-1919. He already served in the Boer War with the 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmen. He would also serve again during WW2, enlisting in 1942 at the age of 64. A unique record of service in that he served Australia in three wars.
His younger brother, 3183 Private Horace Gurney Whitmore 52nd Battalion died of wounds a month after being mortally wounded during the heavy fighting at Mouquet Farm in 1916.
Another brother, 3184 Corporal Walter Leslie Whitmore 52nd Battalion, who had enlisted with Horace, was awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1918 for exceptional gallantry at Dernancourt.
A third brother, Private George Ernest Whitmore also served in the 12th Battalion AIF and returned to Australia in 1918.
John Whitmore enlisted in WW2 only a few months after his son Wesley Whitmore was captured by the Japanese on Timor as part of the 2/40th Battalion 2/AIF. John was given the rank of Lieutenant when he enlisted in WW2 but he resigned during December 1943. He passed away in Launceston, Tasmania in April 1944. Two months later, his son, TX3632 Private Wesley Whitmore, lost his life when the Japanese transport he was aboard was sunk by a United States submarine on 24 June 1944, aged 25.
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