Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Staff Sergeant Leo Seymour White (Service Number: VX3302), 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion, 2nd A.I.F.

Leo voluntarily enlisted on 30 October 1939 in South Melbourne, at the of age 33 years, and was posted at the time, with the rank of Private, to the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion transferring to Puckapunyal in central Victoria, for training.

Two of Leo’s three brothers also enlisted in the Australian military forces, one in the Royal Australian Air Force.

Leo voluntarily enlisted on 30 October 1939 in South Melbourne, at the of age 33 years, and was posted at the time with the rank of Private, to the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion transferring to Puckapunyal in central Victoria, for training. Two of Leo’s three brothers also enlisted in the Australian military forces, one in the Royal Australian Air Force.

Private Leo White and the rest of the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion embarked on 14 April 1940 from Melbourne abroad the vessel HMTY1 (Ettrick) for overseas service.

Arriving in the Middle East at El Kautara (a city on the western side of the Suez Canal in Egypt) on 18 May 1940, the battalion continued training in Palestine and Egypt. Service records indicate that Private Leo White was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on 23 December 1940.

The men of the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion took part in their first campaign in January and February 1941, advancing against the Italians in eastern Libya, where they took part in successful attacks at Bardia and Tobruk. The battalion's time in Libya cost it 32 killed, and 60 wounded.

On 9 April 1941, the 2nd/5th Infantry Battalion and most of the 6th Division, including Lance Corporal Leo White were deployed to Greece, in order to resist the anticipated German invasion; embarking on the troopship ‘MV Cameronia’ at Alexandria (Egypt), and disembarking in Piraeus, Greece on 12 April 1941, from where they moved on to Daphne.

For the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion, the brief Greece campaign (10 Apr – 27 Apr 1941) was essentially one long withdrawal.

The 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion began their campaign on 14 April 1941 moving forward and taking up positions at the junction of Graunia and Corfu Road in central Greece, to cover the withdrawal of other units.

On the 15 April the Germans were reported to be within 30 miles, so subsequently the 2nd/5th battalion moved to reserve positions at Kalambaka (a small town located in the heart of Greece, in the northwestern part of the Thessalian plain. The town of Kalambaka would be eventually burned to the ground and destroyed by the Nazis forces before the war finally ended).

By the 17 April the battalion is recorded as withdrawing a further 6 miles from their previous positions and prepares to fight rearguard action. Further withdrawal of the battalion is recorded on the 18-19 April through Simtom to Lamia Pass.

On the 21-24 April the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion is relieved by the 2/11th battalion and moves back to Braillos Pass. On 25 April the battalion withdraws through Argos to Kalamata, where on 26 April most of the battalion consisting of 560 personnel board the transport vessel ‘City of London’, for evacuation to Alexandra, before moving on to Palestine, where it arrives on 30 April 1941.

Family folklore recounts that Lance Corporal Leo White was with his mate Corporal Jack Giggins at the time Jack was killed somewhere around Lamia in central Greece on the 19 April 1941, however there is nothing to confirm or otherwise refute this claim, which at the time provided some comfort for Jack’s family.

Following the allied withdrawal from Greece Lance Corporal Leo White returned to Dimra which was at the time a small Arab village located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) northeast of Gaza City in British Palestine.

While still in Dimra, on 21 December 1941, Lance Corporal Leo White was promoted to the rank of Corporal, and shortly thereafter on 29 January 1942 he was again promoted to the rank of Acting Sergeant.

On 10 March 1942 Acting Sergeant Leo White and the rest of the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion departed from the Middle East aboard the troopship SS Otranto, to arrive on the 24 March 1942 in Colombo (Ceylon), now known as Sri Lanka, to defend the island against an anticipated Japanese attack.

The battalion remained there for four months, embarking for Melbourne on 11 July 1942 aboard the vessel MV Athlone Castle, and arriving home on 4 August 1942. Acting Sergeant Leo White had his promotion to Staff Sergeant (SSGT) confirmed on 21 July 1942.

While on leave, on the 12 September 1942, Staff Sergeant Leo White and Jessie Edith Giggins (youngest sister of the late Corporal Jack Giggins) celebrated their engagement. They married just over a year later on 28 October 1943 in St Georges Church of England, 

Malvern, Victoria.

In early October 1942, Staff Sergeant Leo White embarked with the 2nd/5th Australian Infantry Battalion from Brisbane for New Guinea, arriving on 13 October 1942. While in New Guinea it is assumed that Staff Sergeant Leo White took part in the military action in which the 2nd/5th Battalion was engaged against the Japanese.

Staff Sergeant Leo White was certainly in the Salamaua area of New Guinea on the 23 July 1943, having been pictured there with members of “A” Company, 2nd/5th Battalion, resting at Buigap Creek, after the fighting at Mount Tambu.

The following photograph is part of the Australian War Memorial collection and includes left to right: VX7549 Warrant Officer 2 J. F. Ward, Company Sergeant Major; VX30252 Lieutenant A. R. Penny, Company Commander; QX3607 Signaller J. Murphy; VX3302 Sergeant L. S. White, Company Quartermaster Sergeant; VX7550 Lance Corporal A. Sutherland.[i]

The Battle of Mount Tambu was a series of actions fought in the Salamaua area of the Territory of New Guinea between Allied and Japanese forces, which took place between 16 July and 18 August 1943.

The initial Allied assault was made by troops from A Company of the 2nd/5th Battalion on 16 July 1943 and the Australians secured part of the southern slopes of Mount Tambu.

The Japanese began to counter-attack that night but were repulsed with heavy losses, with the Australians suffered 39 casualties, including 14 killed in the action.

Another attack was launched by A and D Companies of the 2nd/5th battalion on 24 July after a short artillery and mortar bombardment.[ii] The battle was later described in Australian newspapers at the time as ‘one of the greatest achievements of the second AIF in the New Guinea campaign’, a company of Australian soldiers stormed the Japanese position atop the mountain and proceeded to defend it for three days and night of continuous attacks.[iii]

Thereafter service records indicate that Staff Sergeant Leo White was evacuated to the 2/2nd Australian Field Hospital and then to the Divisional Rest Camp, embarking from Milne Bay, New Guinea, for Australia on 21 September 1943.

In total Staff Sergeant Leo White saw 1,194 days of active service during WW2 including 1,400 days abroad in the Middle East, Greece, Sri Lanka, and New Guinea. He was discharged on 11 February 1944.

Leo White lived out the remainder of his life with his family in Fish Creek, Gippsland, Victoria. He died in the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, (115th Heidelberg Military Hospital). on 6 September 1974, aged 68 years survived by his wife Jessie and five of his six children.

[i] Australian War Memorial Collection. Accession Number: 056759. Maker: Buchanan, Robert John. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C210169
[ii] Mount Tambu, Australian War Memorial. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/PL359
[iii] TROVE Digitized Newspapers. Stormed at Mount Tambu Against Great Odds. The Argus (Melb VIC, 1848-1957), 28 Jul 1943, page 2. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11793413v