Frederick Alexander WHITE

Constable Frederick Alexander White, known affectionately as Fred, joined the Queensland Police in 1909 and served at Mungindi and Gladstone before joining the 25th Battalion A.I.F. in September 1915. Although he spent 7 years in the Australian Light Horse and Mounted Infantry, he joined the Infantry Battalion to serve with his half-brother Albert, who had joined with him. The White brothers embarked for England where they trained on the Salisbury Plain before going into action in France. Frederick A White was wounded in action near Flers on 14 November 1916, receiving gunshot wounds to the right ankle. He would be wounded again four months later, this time with shrapnel wounds to the right shoulder. He returned to his Battalion in July 1917 and just days before the major offensive of the Menin Road. He subsequently succumbed to trench fever which required him to be hospitalised in England for six months. While still suffering some periodic trench fever symptoms, White requested to return to active duty and re-joined his Battalion in France in March of 1918, when the Australian forces were moving to Belgium. On 10 June 1918, the 25th Battalion was involved in heavy fighting at Morlancourt. According to the eyewitness statements, Lance Sgt White was ‘sniped’ at 10pm. He was initially buried where he was shot down. His brother, Lance Corporal Albert White, was also in Morlancourt but in another Company participating in the same raid. ‘Somebody told him that his brother was killed. He started back to look for him and has not been heard of since.’ Albert White was initially declared missing in action but later confirmed dead. They are buried in Beacon Cemetery near Sailly-Le-Sec.