Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

RICHARD MYLES WHITE

SERVICE No:  SX14341

Born at Normanville on 21 October 1916, Richard was the son of Richard Joseph White and Hannah Josephine Casey. Richard was a labourer from Quorn, where his father was the Stock and Brands Inspector, a J.P., and served on the Quorn Town Council. He enlisted in Adelaide on 20 August 1941.

Richard’s first posting was to the Mounted Machine Gun Wing of 3 Training Battalion at Woodside. In June 1942 he was admitted to hospital at Wayville suffering Paronychia (infection of hand or foot) and on his release was allocated to Machine Gun Reinforcements and entrained for 3 Military District on 25 February. In Victoria Richard was posted to 2 Training Battalion and then 6 Training Battalion in Dandenong. After a month with 34 Training Battalion he was finally posted to 2/3 Machine Gun Regiment.

At this time 2/3 Machine Gun Regiment was being re-raised, at Balcombe on the Mornington Peninsula, after the majority of the battalion had been captured during the Battle of Java.

2/3 Machine Gun Regiment entrained for New South Wales on 13 July 1942 and was based at Cowra for training. Ten months later the unit entrained for Queensland and based itself in the Deception Bay area north of Queensland. In mid August 1943 2/3 Machine Gun Regiment moved north to the Atherton Tablelands and in 1944 was based at Wondecla, south west of Cairns. On 4 December 1944 the unit embarked from Cairns aboard USAT Evangeline and disembarked at Aitape, New Guinea, on the tenth. Richard had only been in New Guinea for six days before he was evacuated to 104 Casualty Clearing Station with gastritis.

On 13 March 1945 Richard was killed in action and his body never recovered.

The 2/3 Machine Gun Regiment diary records:

13 March

A Coy arrived AROHEMI from WANK CREEK via ANUMB RIVER track and remained night at 742248. B Coy and 7pl less one sec arrived at TOOTH. Sec from WALUM arrived MALIN. 9pl left ABOAMA via APIBILU for AROHEMI. 10pl patrol ran into ambush at 777257. Japs had two automatics one probably a Juki and were dug in along a front of 20/30 yards covering the approach up a razor back. Cas own Cpl MAY Pte GORDON Pte WHITE killed. Ptes GIBSON, ROLLS, CANNAN, BINNIE wounded. Pte BINNIE died of wounds on 18 Mar. Enemy cas two killed; later confirmed by D Coy (18 Mar).

18 March

D Coy occupied posn 780257 without opposition and found clothing and eqpt, belonging to 10pl pers, who were killed on 13 Mar. Two enemy killed by 10pl confirmed.

The following appeared in the Hibernian Australian Catholic Benefit Society news of the Southern Cross newspaper, Thursday 29 March 1945.

Death of Soldier Member

With sincere sorrow we learn of the death of another of our members in the fighting forces, Bro. Richard Myles White, member of Immaculate Conception Branch, Quorn, who was killed in action on March 13. The late Bro. White was initiated into the Society at Quorn on June 2, 1935, and enlisted in 1941. He was a son of Bro. Richard White and brother of Bros. Neal White, P.P., and Neville (who is also in the A.I.F.). To the White family, the humble prayers and condolences of all Hibernians are sincerely tendered. May his soul and the souls of all deceased members rest in peace.