Lawrence Hamill White MM

Lawrence Hamill White MM

Gallipoli to Tripoli Browning & Gill p. 549
Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown "unknown" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation.
Place of Birth	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Death	4:45 am 14 Oct 1916
Place of Death	No 5 General Hospital Rouen, France
Age at Enlistment	25 years, 1 month
Description	5' 10" (1.78m) tall ; 143 lbs 64.864 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; fair hair ; two tattoos on left arm
Occupation	Farmer
Religion	Church of England
Address	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr Edward Wharton White
Military Information
Reg Number	350
Date of Enlistment	19 Oct 1914
Rank	Corporal
Unit/Formation	10th Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron. Transferred to 16th Battalion after stowing away on board HMT Canada for France.
Date of Embarkation	8 Feb 1915 ‒ 9 Mar 1915
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A47 Mashobra
Fate	Wounded in Action 30 Aug 1916 Mouquet Farm Died of Wounds 14 Oct 1916 Rouen
Monument	Kelmscott War Memorial (South panel) Australian War Memorial
Medals	Military Medal 1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entry 1916 Morowa, Mingenew, a farmer

War Service

Entered the 10th Light Horse training camp on 19 Oct 1914, and after four months training travelled to Egypt where he embarked in Alexandria for the Gallipoli Peninsula on 16 May 1915. On 19 Aug 1915 he was appointed Lance Corporal. On 28 Sep 1915 Lawrence completed a spell in the Mudros Rest Camp, returning via the Anzac Advanced Base Depot and rejoining the 10th Light Horse Regiment on Gallipoli. On 14 Oct 1915 he was promoted Corporal, and as part of the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula, he was on Lemnos Island on 24 Dec 1915, where he embarked for Alexandria on the HMT Caledonia, arriving there on 27 Dec 1915. On 14 Jan 1916 in Heliopolis, and at his own request, he reverted to Private, before marching out to Serapeum on 26 Feb 1916. At some point in May 1916 he decided that he favoured the green of the Western front over the sands of Egypt and on 1 Jun 1916 he stowed away on the HMT Canada which was carrying the 16th Battalion to France.

For his crime he was awarded 14 days Field Punishment, and was subsequently absorbed on the strength of the 16th Battalion, after being declared a deserter by the 10th Light Horse Regiment. At Mouquet Farm on 30 Aug 1916 he was severely wounded, although it was initially recorded that he was missing, believed to have been killed in the action. When found later that day, he was admitted to the 49th Casualty Clearing Station with Gunshot wounds to his left arm, face, and a fractured thigh. He was patched up, and on 1 Sep 1916 loaded on the No. 12 Ambulance Train which conveyed him to No. 5 General Hospital in Rouen where his arm was amputated on 4 Sep leading to him being placed on the dangerously ill list. His status remained unchanged until he died from his wounds on 14 Oct 1916.

Lawrence's death was finally reported in Casualty List 239 published in the Western Mail on 3 Nov 1916.

From his Red Cross file: .

"No 350 Private L.H. White, 16th Battalion, AIF was a patient in this hospital for just over a month. He was very severely wounded and his left arm had to be amputated at the Clearing Station before he was brought down. He also had other wounds that were of a serious nature. Everything possible was done to try to save his life, but that was impossible. The sister who nursed him wrote to his people several times, and an Australian Sister from No 1 Australian General Hospital here, used to come and see him from time to time. She knew his people and wrote to them too. (Possibly Alice Martin). He did not suffer very much at the end but just gradually became weaker and passed away. He was buried in St Sever Cemetery with Military honours. It is very hard for his people to be so far away from him at the end, but it may be a little comfort for them to know, that he was well cared for at the end." A.S. Wilson (Matron) No 5 General Hospital B.E.F. 27-10-16

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  St Sever Cemetery, Rouen
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Award Comment

Military Medal awarded posthumously on 25 Oct 1916.

"This man is a member of the Scouting Platoon and once more displayed great courage in firstly scouting in No Man's Land in the right centre of the line of attack; secondly, he assisted to put out tapes marking the jumping off positions; thirdly, in patrolling No Man's Land in front of our lines before the attack was launched, and after the attacking parties had withdrawn to our lines. The last named act required great courage as it was thought at the time that the German counter attack was being pushed right up to our lines. This is the second time that this man has been brought under notice for his gallantry and devotion to duty. This man was wounded when patrolling in No Man's Land on the occasions referred to. He is recommended for distinction. Period, 29th/30th August, 1916, north of POZIERES."

Notes

Buried in ST. SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN - Plot B; Row 14, Grave 24, Son of Edward Wharton White and Alice Kate White, of Strawberry Hill, Albany, Western Australia. Native of Kelmscott, Western Australia.

St Sever Cemetery and St Sever Cemetery Extension are located within a large communal cemetery situated on the eastern edge of the southern Rouen suburbs of Le Grand Quevilly and Le Petit Quevilly

External Links

• AIF Project
• RSL Virtual War Memorial