Soren Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Hi Pals, A bit of a long-shot but here in Bournemouth at the East Cemetery there is a plot of about 60 Great War graves, most I believe are from the Mont Dore Military hospital, now Bournemouth Town Hall, I first visited the site when I first moved here 2 years ago, and now I go there once a week. The first grave that I came to was, and the stone reads: L/Cpl D D Whitham 19th Bn Australian Inf Died 3rd Nov 1917 Sadly missed by his loving wife and sons Bell Don and Arthur What touched me was the reference to his wife and sons, so I wondered what the chances were of getting a photo of the grave to existing relatives, and to let them know that someone over here has not forgotten him. On checking the CWGC website there is an address listed for the next of kin, I'm thinking of writing to it with details of my quest, a bit of a long shot 90 years hence but I'm going to give it a go! So I'm going to dispatch a letter today and I'll update the thread as to the outcome. Soren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Hi Soren A nice gesture - but I don't much like your chances. I just did a check of the NSW phone book (on-line) - and unless they have an unlisted number - there are no longer any Whitham's at the address you refer to - there are actually none listed for Newtown at all. There is however, still a Whitham family in Newcastle, NSW - where David was born. Who knows..................... Good luck, Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Soren Try the WW2 Australian records. I assume that the sons would have been of military age in WW2, and probably served? IIRC by looking at the WW2 records you will find out where the family were living in the 1940s, which is a bit more likely to be the same place as now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 9 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Thanks Guys, I can't believe it! a quick search on the Aussie archives and guess what? the soldier who's grave I have been visiting had a son who died in WW2: My soldier DD Whitham that I've been visiting: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=362412 His son's listing on the AWM site: http://www.awm.gov.au/database/roh.asp?sur...ham&conflict=W2 His son's CWGC reference naming his father and mother: http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=2538426 The aussie site is much better then the one over here methinks! It seems he was married so there could have been kids, he was born in July 1914, so would have been 3 when his dad died, my eyes are welling up! To the aussie pals, the places mean nothing to me, I suppose the ww2 address is now my best bet? Sozz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Thanks Guys, I can't believe it! a quick search on the Aussie archives and guess what? the soldier I have visiting had a son who died in WW2: It's better than that Soren. You need to get hold of a copy of Russell Braddon's book “The Naked Island”. Gunner Braddon fought in Malaya, and was taken prisoner by the Japanese. He never got back to Singapore, except as a POW. Anyway, Braddon was also in 2/15 Field Regiment and, even if "your" man is not mentioned in the text you will certainly get a flavour of what he did. http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.a...eteranID=127608 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 9 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Whats the chances of doing a search on this name and the local phone book for any possible children that these two had? His Son's wife's name and address: Victoria May Whitham, of North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Or can I look through a virtual Auissie phonebook somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatspywar Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Hello Soren, Isn't history interesting? I've noticed that the son who killed in WW2 was born in Marrickville. It happens to be that I know the Marrickville historian. At the present moments she is looking for a family as well on my behalf. I will pass your request to her as well. She might be able to track the family down. I have been told she's pretty good at it. Can you send me an email with the details you've already have? archives@passchendaele.be Was the 19th Bn AIF involved in Passchendaele 1917? Kind regards, Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatspywar Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Hello Soren, I have just done a quick check on the net and this is what I have found out... : Arthur Edwon Whitham married Victoria May Galvin in 1941. Victoria May Whitham married Krahe Francis in 1948. She died in 1963 He died in 1975. I'm not sure if they had any children... . There are 16 Krahes listed in the Australian yellow pages: http://www.whitepages.com.au/wp/search/res...gainInput.jhtml Hopefully this information is usefulle for you. Kind regards, Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceebee Posted 9 February , 2006 Share Posted 9 February , 2006 Soren Hope I can help here. By chance I know a Whitham, whose son goes to my daugher's school. We regularly bump into each other in the school grounds and at functions, so I can see whether he is related to David Donald Whitham. Here is some additional information following on from the searches done by Jan, Frev and BeppoSapone: 1. The second son, Donald D (David?) married Alma M. Barrett in Orange (New South Wales) in 1935. 2. There is no on-line record for Donald's birth or death. The on-line service for births and deaths ceases at 1905 and 1975 respectively. Therefore I assume Donald was born after 1905 and possibly before 1915. He may have died after 1975, but there is an outside chance he may still be living. 3. I can find no record of Donald having served in WWII (from the AWM nominal role). 4. A digital record of David's service record can be requested from the National Archives of Australia (free of charge, but it can take several months). 5. It looks like David was part of the 5th reinforcements for the 19th Battalion. The embarkation role lists him as "Daniel" Donald, but the service number is correct. Date of embarkation is shown as 5 October 1915 from Sydney. He may have served on Gallipoli, as the 19th was there from 21 August 1915. The service record would confirm this. By the end of 1917 the 19th also saw action at Pozieres, Flers, retreat to Hindenburg Line, Lagnicourt, second Bullecourt, Menin Road and Broodseinde. 6. There is an Australian Red Cross file which contains a letter dated 5 December 1917 from the matron of the Military Hospital at Bournemouth describing David's illness (dysentry) and eventual death. The file can be seen in the biographical data base here. Jan I see you have made the link to the Marrickville historian. I also thought of her when I saw that David's address was Sheppeard Street Marrickville. I'll leave this one for you to follow through. The 19th Battalion formed part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division. The Battalion did participate at Passchendaele in the Battles of Menin Road and Broodseinde (see the Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 - Vol IV). Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 10 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Thanks everyone, I never dreamt that I'd get this level of background on this poor soldier, very sad that his son followed him in WW2 one of many I suppose. Thank-you for the time and effort you guys have put in, this chaps definately not forgotten eh? Soren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Arthur Edwon Whitham married Victoria May Galvin in 1941. Jan Ordinary peoples lives wrecked by war. Arthur Whitham grew up without his father, lost in WW1. He then got married in 1941. He would have gone to Malaya in 1941 too. This couple would have had only months or weeks together, depending upon his marriage date and date o/s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 10 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2006 I understand that the WW1 Aussies were all volunteers, would this be the same for WW2 or was there conscription? I initially thought that he died on the Burma railway, but it does state KIA on his computer record. so at least he did not have to suffer that indignity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Soren To have been a member of the 8th division in Malaya your man would have needed to be a volunteer. Australians volunteered for oversea's service and became part of the 2 AIF. I am not 100% sure of the next part of this, and would welcome Australian comment. I believe that you could be conscripted, but only for home service in the Militia? Here is the good bit. Militia units were liable for home service only so, when the Japanese looked like invading Australia, the definition of home service was re-defined to enable Militia units to serve in the Pacific. So you get Militia units fighting in New Guinea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 The AIF were all volunteers including 8 Div. More bad news I am afraid. The date was before the fall of Singapore, when the Aussies, British and Indians were involved in rearguard actions down the Malayan peninsula. On 23 January 1942, during the Battle of Muar, the Japanese massacred approximately 150 allied POW at Parit Sulong. The majority were wounded stretcher cases and were left at a bridge near Parit Sulong at the direction of Lt Col Charles Anderson, later awarded the VC for his actions during the withdrawal. Gunner Whitham is recorded in Lynnette Ramsay Silver's book 'The Bridge at Parit Sulong' as one of the men presumed KIA and missing on this date, possibly murdered by the Japanese. Wierd....I had just invited one of only two survivors, Lt Ben Hackney, to dinner in another thread. The official history details the action here. P.246 onwards tells the story of Parit Sulong. http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/histories...chapters/12.pdf Another distinguished member of the the regiment was Sergeant Walter 'Wally' Ernest Brown VC DCM & Bar, of the 20th Battalion. On 6 July 1918 at Villers-Bretonneux, France on his own initiative, Brown rushed a machine-gun post, which had been causing great inconvenience by persistent sniping. Despite being fired on by another machine-gun, he continued to his objective and with a Mills grenade in his hand, he stood at the door of the dug-out and called on the occupants to surrender. One of the enemy rushed out and scuffled with him, but was knocked down by the his fist. One officer and 11 men then surrendered and he brought them back as prisoners, again under heavy machine-gun fire. Wally Brown grew up in New Norfolk and became a grocer in Hobart, but was working in Sydney when war broke out. He was serving with the 20th Battalion at Dernancourt on July 6, 1918, when he won his Victoria Cross. A sniper post was holding up the Australians and Brown made his way alone through the trenches. He was about to bomb the post when a group of Germans started to emerge from another dug-out. Brown threatened the enemy with his grenade and succeeded in capturing 13 prisoners. A born soldier, Brown was in Malaya in World War II before the fall of Singapore. Legend has it that he was last seen a few hours before the surrender, walking towards Japanese positions with grenades. Another report is that he escaped to Java in a small boat and went missing there. Rgds Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 10 February , 2006 Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Oh...by the way.....may those reponsible for committing and condoning this crime fry in hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soren Posted 10 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 February , 2006 Oh...by the way.....may those reponsible for committing and condoning this crime fry in hell. I quite agree, really turns my stomach, I've read about this chap before, might have to commemorate him in a drawing, a true bally-hero!!!!! Many thanks for the detailed responses from everyone, I'm really learning quite a bit from this thread! Soren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frev Posted 12 February , 2006 Share Posted 12 February , 2006 Boy! I go away for the weekend - and you've just about got the whole thing solved. Great work guys - fascinating stuff! Cheers, Frev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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