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WHITE, Newport Benjamin

Subjects

  • WW1
Author: 
Sylvia Black
Family name: 
WHITE
Given names: 
Newport Benjamin
Gender: 
Male
Religion: 
Church of England
Date of birth: 
27 February 1893
Place of birth: 
Birth Mornington, Victoria
, Australia
38° 13' 11.9388" S, 145° 2' 20.2056" E
East Melbourne addresses
Year: 
1916
1916
Holy Trinity, Clarendon Street
, East Melbourne, Victoria
, Australia
37° 47' 14.1324" S, 145° 8' 16.4544" E
Military service: 
WW1
Rank: 
Lt
Military units: 
57th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement
Biographical notes: 

One of three children and only son of Rev. Benjamin Newport White, M.A., vicar of Holy Trinity, East Melbourne 1905-1928, and his wife, Sarah Ann; born 27 February 1893 at St. Peter's Vicarage, Mornington. He moved to East Melbourne with his family in 1905 where they lived at the vicarage on the corner of Clarendon and George Streets (now demolished). Newport matriculated from Melbourne Grammar in 1911 and went on to University of Melbourne to study Medicine and Arts.

At the time of his enlistment, 5 May 1916, he was still a student, but had qualified B.A. He had spent seven years in the school Cadets (1905-1911, 1st Lt. 1911), 2.5 years in the Melbourne University Rifles (1912-1916, 2nd Lt. 1914) and 1.5 years in the Citizens' Forces. Spent time in Castlemaine and Broadmeadows training camps before embarking 2 October 1916. He disembarked at Plymouth on 16 November 1916. Proceeded to Etaples the following February. He spent about three weeks in Lewis' Machine Gun School before joining his battalion in the field. In July 1917 he was in England where he was promoted to Lieutentant and seconded for duty with the 15th Training Battalion, Hurdcott. Proceeded overseas to France on 5 October 1917 to join his battalion on the Western Front. On 16 October he was admitted to hospital with myalgia. He recovered and returned to the field but was again admitted to hospital on 8 March 1918 while at Messines, Belgium, with p.u.o (pyrexia of unknown origin), 'probably Trench Fever'. He was transferred to England 24 March 1918 and was discharged to the overseas Training Brigade in June. On 2 October 1918 at Bullecourt and back with his battalion, he suffered synovitis of the knee, recovered and returned to field. He returned to England 31 May 1919 and embarked for Australia 24 July 1919 and was struck off strength.

On his return to Melbourne he completed his medical degree. In 1935 he was appointed honorary clinical assistant to the surgeon for diseases of children at the Alfred Hospital. He served with the Australian Army Medical Corps during WW2 and was promoted to major. He never married and died on 3 October 1944, aged 51.

References: 
NAA name search
Trove digitised newspapers
Location map:
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