Bertie Dallas Winterbottom was the son of William Henry Winterbottom and Jean Mathieson Winterbottom.  He was born 1893 at Koondrook in Victoria, between Swan Hill and Echuca.  His father had been a selector in the area. When Bertie enlisted at Geelong on 13 October 1916 he gave his address as the same as his father and next of kin, 75 Grey Street, East Melbourne.  He was a labourer.  He admitted to having been previously rejected as unfit for His Majesty’s Service on account of a stiff elbow joint.  He was just under 5ft 11ins, had a fresh complexion with grey eyes and auburn hair.  He was appointed to 14^th Battalion, 23^rd Reinforcements as a private and sent for training to Royal Park.

He embarked on 16 December 1916 aboard the Medic and disembarked at Plymouth on 18 February 1917 and from there went to Sutton Mandeville Camp.  A month later he was transferred to 4^th Training Battalion at Codford.  He was moved to different training battalions at different camps for the duration of the war and never saw active service.

On 18 April 1918 he was taken on strength of permanent cadre of Headquarters 2^nd Training Brigade Headquarters

Left for Australia 2 March 1919 aboard the Derbyshire.  On arrival in Melbourne he was given a medical examination.  It was concluded he had functional paralysis which he had had since childhood in Moulamein, NSW.  The essential facts being that

prior to enlistment – up to age 14yrs had fits 5 or 6 wks interval between.  Since age 14 no fits.  Enlisted 13.10.16 at Geelong – has not been in war zone, employed in England.  Able to do general duties at Camp and employed latterly in Postal Corps 1 month.  Feels no different to when enlisted

His disability, being a ‘weakness of grasp of the right hand’ was deemed constitutional and neither attributable to nor aggravated by service.  He was recommended as unfit for General Service but fit for Home Service.  He was not awarded a pension. He was discharged 26 May 1919

He died at Cheltenham in 1967

His brother Keith Winterbottom also enlisted and was killed in action on 12 December 1916