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Australia

The below biography for Cecil William (Micky) WHITNEY was originally published in the Nepean Family History Society Inc. quarterly journal, "Timespan", issue no. 140 of September 2015.

Born: cir 1884 in Seven Hills, NSW, Australia1,2,3 (see note 1)

Enlisted: 16 Aug 19151

Marital Status 16 Aug 1915 Single1

Religion: 16 Aug 1915 C of E1

Height: 16 Aug 1915 5ft 10ins1

Eye colour: 16 Aug 1915 blue1

Hair colour: 16 Aug 1915 brown1

Description: 16 Aug 1915 complexion fair, chest 35ins-38ins, scar on right knee1

Father: William WHITNEY (22 Dec 1852 – 8 Nov 1895)

Mother: Lydia Ann Jane PIKE (8 Jul 1854 – 19 Aug 1919)

Cecil was the third of five brothers, and the sixth born child in a family of ten children. He was also a great grandson of convicts John Pike and Jane Ferriday (see "Timespan" issue numbers 140 of September 2015 and 138 of March 2015 for their respective stories).

As the Great War entered its second year, Cecil had abandoned his farming pursuits in Lismore and enlisted for overseas military service. He was assigned to Unit 25, 6th Reinforcements of the 25th Battalion at the time of his embarkation from Brisbane on 21 Oct 1915, per A48 HMAT "Seang Bee". 

On 4 Mar 1916, after further training in Egypt, Cecil was transferred to the 9th Battalion. Nine days later the battalion sailed for France and the Western Front. Landing at Marseilles on 19 Mar 1916, it was the first AIF battalion to arrive there.

Cecil and his fellow Australian troops next moved north to the battlefields. They were thence billeted in the St Omer-Aire-Hazebrouck region of French Flanders, known as the "Nursery".

By mid April Cecil's battalion, as part of the Australian 1st Division, was committed in the line at Fleurbaix, just south of the manufacturing town of Armentières. Having replaced the British II Corps, they had command of the area south east of Armentières. Within a matter of days, he was among the first Australian casualties of the Western Front when German shells hit the farmhouses they were sheltering in.

The below excerpt from one of several eye-witness accounts describes how he met his death:

We were in reserve previous to moving up to the firing line and he was killed by a shell in billets in Rue de Bois near Sailly. I saw him lying dead in the dressing station. He did not seem to be much mutilated...

Cecil's death was subsequently reported at home in the below quoted articles:

"Killed in Action.

PTE. C. W. WHITNEY, A SEVEN HILLS BOY.

Nurse L. Whitney, of Wentworth-street, Parramatta, received the sad news by cable on Wednesday that her son, Pte. Cecil William Whitney had met his death whilst fighting for the colours. No particulars were given, but it is presumed that Pte. Whitney was killed in action in France, for just a few hours before the sad intelligence arrived Nurse Whitney received a letter from her son, written in Egypt, in which he stated that he was well and was then expecting to leave for France. The date of his death was given as April 20.The late Pte. Whitney was unmarried, and was born at Seven Hills in 1883 (sic), being thus 33 (sic) years of age when he gave his life for his country. He spent his boyhood days at Seven Hills, where he was well known and highly popular, and about 14 years ago went to Lismore, took up some land, and followed farming pursuits until about seven months ago, when he sold out his farm with the intention of returning to Parramatta. But he heard the call to arms and enlisted. Under the military arrangements all the recruits from the North Coast are sent to Brisbane, but Pte. Whitney intended visiting Parramatta before leaving finally. However, his embarkation at Melbourne prevented this, and he was greatly disappointed. We sincerely sympathise with Nurse Whitney and family in their bereavement."

"PTE. CECIL WILLIAM WHITNEY, son of Nurse L. Whitney, of Wentworth-street, Parramatta, who died fighting for his country in France on April 20.The late Private Whitney was unmarried, and was born at Seven Hills in 1882 (sic). He spent his boyhood days in Seven Hills, where he was highly popular, and about 14 years ago went to Lismore, and followed farming pursuits until about seven months ago, when he sold out his farm with the intention of returning to Parramatta. But he heard the call to arms and enlisted, and has died a glorious death."

Cecil's belongings comprising: 2 identification discs; money belt; badges; Testament; tin box; handkerchief; 10 coins; button; and nibs were despatched in one package per "Ajana" and signed for as received by his mother on 17 Jan 1917. He was posthumously awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Following his mother's death in 1919, these medals were applied for, and subsequently delivered to his eldest brother and closest surviving next of kin, Victor Harry Whitney.

His headstone is inscribed:

"2903/A PRIVATE C. W. WHITNEY

9TH BN. AUSTRALIAN INF.

20TH APRIL 1916 AGE 32

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

OUR DEAR 'MICKY'

SISTER VIDA"

There was a sad postscript to this epitaph penned by Cecil's above named eldest sister Vida, when her son, John Ashley Nichol, joined his uncle amongst the fallen the following year at Zonnebeke Ridge.6,1,7,8,9,4,10,11,3,5,12,13

LEST WE FORGET

Source References

1 National Archives of Australia (NAA): B2455, WHITNEY, Cecil William.

2 Australian War Memorial (AWM), 145: Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army.

3 Various, WWW Information sourced from the World Wide Web, http://www.cwgc.org/, retrieved 27 Oct 2007.

4 AWM, Australian Red Cross Wounded & Missing Enquiry Bureau File #2930802.

5 Tombstone/Cemetery Records, 707 Rue-du-Bacquerot (13th London) Graveyard [Laventie, France] Grave Ref: F. 37.

6 Various, WWW Information sourced from the World Wide Web,

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P08624.127/, retrieved 11 May 2015.

7 AWM8 First World War Unit Embarkation Rolls.

8 Various, WWW Information sourced from the World Wide Web,

https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51449/, retrieved 1 Sep 2015.

9 Various, WWW Information sourced from the World Wide Web,

http://www.anzacsinfrance.com/1916/, retrieved 1 Sep 2015.

10 Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers' Advocate, Sat 13-05-1916p6 [Killed in Action. PTE. C. W. WHITNEY, A SEVEN HILLS BOY].

11 Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers' Advocate, Sat 20 May 1916p4 [Our Fallen Heroes in France].

12 NAA: B2455, NICHOL, John Ashley [3419].

13 AWM131 Roll of Honour circulars, 1914-18 War.

Note 1 There’s some confusion concerning Cecil's precise year of birth. His age on enlistment in the cited military record was recorded as 29 years and 2 months, whilst his age at death less than 12 months later is officially recorded as 32 years. As no record has been found for the registration of his birth, it has been assumed that the year of birth was most likely to be 1884. Unless he was the twin of his sister, Ruby Lydia (NSW BDM Index Birth #15377/1883 WHITNEY RUBY LYDIA WILLIAM LYDIA ANN J CENTRAL CUMBERLAND - dob 11 Aug 1883), this assumption seems most likely because of the known birth years of all his nine siblings (i.e. 1875, 1878, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1886, 1887, 1890 and 1896).