WHINFIELD, Myles William

Myles William Whinfield was born in 1886 in Echuca, Victoria. He was the son of James Chapman Whinfield and Mary Jane (nee Watt). His father, a farmer and sheep-breeder of Bamawm, near Echuca, died in 1895 when a dray he was driving hit a tree and overturned. Only two years later his mother, a well known equestrienne, died after a fall from her horse. The farm was sold and possibly Myles and his brother and sister went to live with one of his uncles in the area.

By 1914 the Electoral Rolls show him to be an auctioneer living at 23 Athol Street, Moonee Ponds, and he returned to Moonee Ponds after the war. However, on his enlistment papers, he gave The Grange, 122 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne as the address of his next of kin, his wife, Effie (Euphemia) Tilley Whinfield. He had married Effie (nee Kidd) on 20 April 1916, ten months after his enlistment. Effie was by then a nurse, having trained at Bendigo Hospital and passing her final exams in 1910.  The Grange was probably Effie's place of residence before their marriage as she had been working at Tandarra Private Hospital in Vale Street, East Melbourne.

Prior to enlisting Myles had served with the Melbourne Cavalry Corps and the Australian Light Horse. At just over 6ft. he was unusually tall. He had a fresh complexion with brown eyes and black hair. Initially he was appointed to B Company, 10th Battalion, Veterinary Section, but two months later was transferred to the 21st Reinforcements 4th and 5th Mobile Veterinary Sections. He embarked with this unit on 21 October 1916 bound for Devonport. On shore leave in Durban the men found that the hotels had been closed against the Australian troops. A local, angry at their treatment, wrote a long poem in their defence. Myles and others terming themselves the 'Essendon lads' sent the poem to their local paper for publication {see link below].Effie followed him a month later, paying her own way.

He proceeded to France on 16 May 1917 where he was stationed at the Australian Veterinary Hospital. This hospital had been established early in 1917. It was about five kilometres south of Calais, on roughly 25 acres of farmland and was designed to treat up to 1250 sick and injured animals. It was still under construction when Myles arrived and he would have played a part in its completion. The first animals were admitted on 15 September 1917.

Myles was detached for duty with 1st Field Artillery Brigade on 29 January 1918. He was promoted to Sergeant on 8 March 1918. He returned to Australia 31 May 1919. Effie made her own way home and arrived in Melbourne ahead of him. He later applied for a refund of her passage money. In June 1919 she notified Base Records of her change of address which she gave as the Homeopathic Hospital, St. Kilda Road.

Effie's parent's had previously received notification that on 25 April 1918 their youngest son, Roy, had died in action. The death notice they placed in The Argus noted that Roy had a brother and sister on active service. This is the only hint that Effie may have been serving overseas along with her husband. Her name does not appear in any of the official records but she may have been part of some private initiative. However her name is listed on the Honor Board of Glenlyon School, as pictured below.

Effie died at their home in Essendon in 1955, and Myles died in 1971 at the Repatriation Hospital, Macleod.