Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Patrick and his twin brother Michael James were born on the 4th November 1918 at Minlaton to the farming family of James Thomas and Cora Mary Whyte. The twins also had a sister, Mary. Pat’s maternal grandparents, Irish born Mary Ann and James Whyte Snr, came to South Australia in 1857 meeting on the outward voyage. They married two years after arriving, then headed to Minlaton where they began farming. James Snr also starting a butchering business. Their nine children included Pat’s father, James and another brother, Cornelius.
20-year-old Cornelius enlisted to serve in WWI as 2008 in the 48th Battalion. He sustained a gunshot wound to his leg while fighting in France. He was later awarded the Military Medal in October ’17 for ‘conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty.’ He ‘went out under heavy artillery fire and collected a number of wounded from the 10th Battalion, 3rd Battalion A.I.F. who were hit while carrying out relief. He showed great coolness and absolute disregard for his personal safety.’ It was a proud time for the extended family when this notification arrived six months before the twins were born.
Prior to their arrival, James Jnr was already a highly regarded breeder of cattle and pigs, regularly taking out multiple awards at the Minlaton Show. He supplemented his farm work with filling tenders for essential work required by the Minlaton Council as well as undertaking deliveries of wheat for shipping.
The children grew up in a close-knit community, attending the Cranbrook School before Pat became a regular worker on the family farm. He and Michael were also actively involved in the local cricket and football teams.
However, WWII intervened and his Uncle Con’s service in the Great War also had an influence on Pat. As it unfolded, huge enlistment drives were held in country regions, aimed at fit, single young men. The drive was exceptionally successful with 21-year-old Patrick enlisting on the 21st June ’40 at Minlaton. He was allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion as SX8874. The local Pioneer in July listed other young men from the area who had enlisted ‘Messrs. Doug. Cameron, Stuart Martin, Pat Whyte, Jim Travis, who have enlisted for Overseas Service, entered Wayville Camp on Monday.’ All were involved in farming and fortuitously were all allocated to the 2/48th Battalion together. Stewart was SX8871, James SX8872 and Doug SX8847. Their early army days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before they heading to Woodside for preliminary training.
Towards the end of that year, Pat was granted two months special leave, which also allowed him to be home in time for his birthday. Later pre-embarkation leave was followed by him being allocated to the 2/48th Battalion. Whilst on pre-embarkation leave, the Curramulka Soldiers’ Social organised a farewell for Pat and Pte Edward Pointon SX10716, plus two other men. Pat was presented with a wristlet watch; the other soldiers also received a small gift. Several items, music and dancing followed before a generous supper was served and Auld Lang Syne was sung to farewell the young men. Following additional seasonal leave to help on the farm, by April Pat had embarked for overseas, arriving in the Middle East on the 14th May ’41.
Training at Amiriya followed before he was graded as a Group II Cook. Pat’s health saw him have several bouts of hospitalisation before he was able to leave the Middle East to return to Australia at the end of March ’42. He began a Cooks’ School course but again, ill health meant he was unable to complete that course. Preparations followed with training to serve in the tropical conditions of New Guinea where Pat arrived in November via Port Moresby with the 2/1 Battalion. Over the following year he filled, then relinquished the role of Group II Cook, and for about a month was promoted to Acting Corporal, before reverting to the role of Private and returning to be a Group II Cook. In October the following year, Pat was with the 2/7th Anti Malaria Control Unit in New Guinea until December when he returned to Townsville then to South Australia for extended time with seasonal leave to help his father. Pat, Jack Tucker SX15808 and Kevin Goldsworthy SX27015 all returned home on leave together.
Pat’s final stint occurred when he left Cairns with the 2/7th in March ’45, arriving at Morotai at the end of that month, serving there for seven months before spending the last days of the war in Tarakan. By the end of October that year, Pat’s war was finally over as he headed home via Brisbane and was discharged in November. Pat returned to a huge ‘welcome home’ social for all the local service personnel. This included eighteen returnees, and two prisoners of war. The evening began with a musical programme followed by dancing.
Many events that had been held in obeyance returned, including the Easter Athletics Sports held at the Minlaton Showgrounds. 1948 experienced a record attendance with people coming from all towns on the Peninsula, past residents who were living in Adelaide and several from West Coast towns as they returned to celebrate the Koolywurtie Celebrations. (Koolywurtie was a small town north of Minlaton which survived until ’79). Pat proved to be the most accurate participant in the ‘Bowling at the Stump’ event.
That year was also one to celebrate as Pat announced his engagement to Merella Katherine Henderson (known as Katherine) from Pine Point. They married in January the following year, announcing the event in the Advertiser. Advertiser Thursday 27 January 1949 HENDERSON—WHYTE.—The marriage of Katherine, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Henderson, of Pine Point, to Patrick C., twin son of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Whyte, of Port Julia, will be solemnised with Nuptial Mass at Saint Malycha's Church, Minlaton, on Saturday, January 29, at 9 a.m.
They later had two children, Bernard and Leonie, with Pat being a generous supporter of their school, St Columba’s Memorial. In the ensuing years, he also developed an interest in draft horses, entering several in the Royal Adelaide Show of ‘53.
Aged 75, Pat died in Adelaide on the 6th November ’93. He now rests in the Minlaton Cemetery where Merella was later interred following her death in 2001. A plaque commemorating Pat’s service is also in the Garden of Remembrance and on his Minlaton Grave.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.