Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Walter Whitlock MM 

WW1 service number 5137 18th Battalion - Private/V.O Corporal/Lance Corporal/Temporary Corporal Vice/Sergeant

WW2 service number N3980 - 6th Australian Motor Regiment - Lieutenant/Captian/Major/Major/Lieutenant Colonel 

Son of  Harry Whitlock & Mary Ann ( née Cassidy) of Goonumbla

INTRODUCTION

Walter Whitlock's life stands as a remarkable testament to duty, courage, and service - not just on the battlefields of two world wars, but also within his family and community. From the muddy trenches of Bullecourt to leading local defence efforts during the Second World War, Walter's journey embodies the spirit of Australia's citizen soldiers. His story, built on sacrifice, leadership, and quiet dedication, deserves to be remembered and celebrated by generations to come.

The Story of Walter Whitlock - A hero of the Great War.

EARLY LIFE

Walter Whitlock was born 17 April 1896 in Parkes, New South Wales, the seventh child of Henry and Mary Ann Whitlock. Growing up in a large family with five brothers and nine sisters, Walter learned the values of hard work, resilience, and loyalty - qualities that would later define his service in two world wars. His older brother William Harry Whitlock had already answered the call to arms, enlisting in February 1915 as a Trooper in the 7th Australian Light Horse Regiment. William served at Gallipoli, where he was wounded three times before being returned home and medically discharged in August 1916. Inspired perhaps by his brother's example, Walter followed in his footsteps.

ENLISTMENT and TRAINING - World War 1

At 19 years and 9 months of age, Walter enlisted for active service on 17 January 1916, listing his occupation as "farmer." On his attestation papers, he noted previous military experience, as having served two years as a cadet. He was assigned to the 13th Reinforcements of the 18th Battalion and began his initial training at the Bathurst Depot Camp from 5 February to 9 March 1916.

Walter quickly distinguished himself, being promoted through the ranks - appointed V.O Corporal on 3 June 1916 and D.P Corporal shortly before that, on 9 May. He embarked for overseas service on 3 June 1916, arriving in England for further training at the 5th Training Base.

By October, Walter was sent to France, landing at the 2nd Australian Base Depot at Etaples. On joining the battlefield, he was promoted to Lance Corporal, and later awarded Extra Duty Pay - recognition of his growing reliability and leadership in the ranks.

THE 2nd BATTLE OF BULLECOURT and THE MILITARY MEDAL

Walter's courage was most fiercely tested during the Second Battle of Bullecourt on 3 May 1917, near the French village of Noreuil. His actions that day earned him the Military Medal, a decoration awarded for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire.

According to the official citation published in the Commonwealth Gazette (No.189, 8 November 1917):

"On May 3rd, 1917, near Noreuil, they [Walter and his Lewis Gun Crew] were No.1 and 2 of a Lewis Gun Crew. They took their gun forward inside the enemy's wire and dispersed an enemy party moving forward to reinforce O.G.1. The wire at this point was being swept by machine gun fire. Later, they took the gun round to the flank and took up position between O.G.1 and O.G.2. Although their gun was put out of action, they succeeded in salvaging one from a dead crew, got it into working order, and remained in position until the battalion withdrew."

Walter's own letter to his brother William, written from "Somewhere in France" on 4 July 1917, provides a stirring first-hand account:

FROM THE FRONT dated July 4th; Corporal Whitlock says:-

" I suppose you have heard of our scrap at Bullecourt on May 3rd. I can tell you that it was "some scrap." We went over (the 5th and 6th Brigades) just at daylight, and we were on the right of the 6th. Fritz was waiting, and down came his barrage before ours, but our counter-artillery work steadied him a bit. We had a quarter of a mile to go over the open, and his machine guns opened like a veritable hailstorm. Then we began to have casualties, though I got my gun crew right up without a single loss. Somewhere on the left, word was received to get out, and most of the men went back, but we hung on and joined with the 6th, who had found a weak spot. Then back came the rest of our boys, and we occupied two lines of the once famous "Hindenberg line"." Our troubles were by no means over, as the enemy occupied the trench on one end, and we were practically cut off on the other side. But what we took we held. And so all day and night there was a furious bomb fighting up and down the trench, and we machine gunners, though we did not get a clear show, had plenty of work and, though suffering heavily, held on. I only lost two of my crew - both wounded - and being in the thick of it all the time, we were very lucky. Out of 594 who went over the top in our battalion, we lost 400, so you may guess it was "some warm." For this I received the Military Medal. I will tell you some other time, perhaps, of my own special part in the business."

WOUNDED IN ACTION

Later that year, on 3 November 1917, Walter was wounded during heavy fighting in Belgium, suffering a severe shrapnel injury to his right hand. He was evacuated to England, first to the 1st Southern General Hospital at Kings Heath and then to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. After months of recovery, Walter rejoined his battalion in France on 6 July 1918. His leadership and determination remained undiminished. On 6 October 1918, he was promoted to Sergeant - a testament to his courage, experience, and respect he had earned among his comrades.

COMING HOME

Following the armistice, Walter was granted leave to Psris in February 1919. But the burden of heartbreak and hardship awaited him at home: Henry, his father, had passed away in 1917, leaving his mother, Mary Ann, to struggle alone. With a sprawling family of young children and no strong male presence left to work the farm, Mary Ann fought a daily battle against drought, poverty and exhaustion. The weight of responsibility fell heavily on her tired shoulders, and money was painfully scarce. Walter, understanding the desperate situation, applied for early repatriation on compassionate grounds, determined to return home and shoulder his share of the burden. His request was approved, allowing him to bring strength and hope back to his family in their time of greatest need.

Walter returned to Australia aboard the Sardinia in April 1919, disembarking later that month.

Walter drew a soldier's block, which he named "Burrill Banks". This became a sanctuary for his family - a place where they could rebuild after years of loss and hardship. It was not far from the farm where they had grown up, the very land their Father, Henry, had once worked so hard to pay off. After Henry's death, the farm - known as "Limestone" - was sold by its owner, and the family was forced to leave. Now, Walter brought them home again. Mary Ann and her eight youngest children moved in with Walter at Burrill Banks. Together, they worked the land and held each other close.

In 1927, tragedy struck again when Walter's eldest sister died due to complications in childbirth, delivering twins. Her grieving husband, now a widower with nine children - the eldest 12, the youngest twin boys born eight weeks premature - was overwhelmed. Walter, his ageing mother, and his siblings opened their home once again. The children came to live at Burrill Banks, filling its rooms with both sorrow and laughter.

Then, in 1933, heartbreak visited them once more. The children's father died, leaving them orphans. But the Whitlocks, led by Walter's steady hand and his mother's enduring love, made a vow: the children would be raised by family, not sent away. And so, Burrill Banks became not just a farm, but a haven - a testament to love, resilience, and the enduring power of kinship.

SERVICE BETWEEN THE WARS

Walter's dedication to service did not end with the conclusion of the First World War. In 1921, he voluntarily enlisted in the Citizen Military Forces (part-time militia), joining B Squadron, 6th Light Horse Regiment. He served for three and a half years, from 1 September 1921 to 3 May 1925, during which he rose through the ranks, holding the rank of Lieutenant.

Walter's leadership and experience were formally recognised when he was promoted to Captain on 18 September 1934 and later to Major on 13 September 1939, on the eve of another global conflict. 

In recognition of his long and efficient service in the militia, Walter was awarded the prestigious Australian Efficiency Decoration on 8 October 1942.

WORLD WAR 2 SERVICE

During the 2nd World War, Walter continued to serve Australia. As a Major in the 9th Australian Motor Regiment, he was later transferred to the Reserve of Officers (Light Horse) on 30 October 1942.

On 23 August 1943, Walter was appointed to command the 27th New South Wales Battalion of the Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) - Australia's equivalent of Britain's Home Guard - holding the rank of Major. Just a few weeks later, on 28 September 1943, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, a rare and distinguished honour.

In this role, Walter was responsible for training and leading men in local defence operations, demonstrating once again his unwavering commitment to his community and his country.

A LIFE OF SERVICE

Once his time in uniform had ended, Walter returned to Parkes - home, the dusty roads and familiar fields a bittersweet welcome after bearing witness to the devastation of two world wars. The family farm, battered by droughts and relentless demands of survival, stood as a fragile reminder of what his father had left behind after his death in 1917. Mary Ann, his mother, had fought valiantly to keep the family afloat, but with so many young children still at home and no strong arms to help her, every day had been a battle against hunger and heartbreak. Money was scarce, hope scarcer still.

Walter, though forever marked by the war, threw himself into the work without hesitation. He gave himself over to a different kind of devotion: helping to raise his nine orphaned nieces and nephews alongside his ageing mother and siblings. His life became one of quiet, steadfast sacrifice. The same indomitable courage, resilience, and deep sense of duty that had seen him through the blood and chaos of war now anchored him to his family and community. His leadership, both in times of battle and peace, built a legacy not of medals or titles alone, but of lives saved, nurtured, and inspired.

Walter took practical steps to support his extended family. He built a dairy and brought some cows for one of his sisters and her husband, telling them they would need to manage on what they earned from the milk, though, quietly, he covered the cost of the feed. It was this kind of quiet and steadfast support that allowed them to make ends meet during difficult years.

By the time Mary Ann, his mother, had passed away in 1932, most of Walter's siblings had married, though one sister and two brothers remained at Burrill Banks. Together, they continued to care for the orphaned children, raising them with love and stability until the day those children, too, grew up and married.

In 1956, Walter sold Burrill Banks and purchased a larger property called "Wombin". It seemed a fresh beginning, but sorrow struck once more when yet another sister passed away, just as the family began to settle into their new life.

In 1961, Walter became seriously ill, entering the hospital with gangrene in his foot. Despite the family's hopes, his condition worsened, and he passed away on 30 August 1961. His death marked the end of an era, but the legacy of his sacrifices, compassion, and strength endures to this day.

The same qualities that made Walter a hero on the battlefield - courage, resilience, leadership, and a strong sense of duty - stayed with him throughout his life. His service across two world wars, his leadership in peace and conflict, and his quiet sacrifices for family and community form a lasting legacy that continues to inspire generations.