Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War I (1914-1918)

Date of Enlistment

04/04/1916

Date of Discharge

27/10/1919

Place of Enlistment

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Gender

Male

Other Name(s)

Nicknamed 'Torpy'

Date of Birth

30/09/1896

Place of Birth

Leith, Scotland

Address (at enlistment)

Royal Military College, Duntroon ACT

Occupation

Soldier

Final Rank

Captain

Final Unit

3 Machine Gun Battalion AIF

Military Cross (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 2 May 1918)
Mentioned in Despatches (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.169, 4 October 1917)
Croix de Guerre (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No.61, 23 May 1919)

The Scottish born Whitehead entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon on 12 March 1914 and graduated early, along with his classmates, on 3 April 1916. He was appointed as a Lieutenant with the 9th Machine Gun Company and arrived in France in November 1917. He transferred to the 23rd Machine Gun Battalion in September 1917 and shortly after was promoted to Captain. On 4 October 1917 he "personally led his battery of eight Machine Guns from his Barrage position to a forward barrage position about 1000 yards away under heavy fire. He inspired great confidence in his Company which was in action for the first time." He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions. After being wounded the following May, he was appointed Adjutant of his Battalion before being recommended for the Distinguished Service Order because "during the operation north west of Bray on the morning of 22nd August, during the capture of Bray on the 24th August and the subsequent operations east of Bray on the 24th and 25th August, this Officer was in charge of the executive Command Post of this Battalion. Throughout the whole of the above operations his gallant work was of vital importance to the Battalion. He did not lose any opportunity to continually harass the enemy with machine gun fire, thereby rendering the greatest mutual support to the attacking troops, he set a magnificent example of leadership and courage, stimulating the tired gunners to their greatest possible efforts." Whitehead was also Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the French Croix de Guerre.

After the war he became a civil engineer and in 1931 he joined Shell. At the beginning of World War 2 he raised and trained the 2/2 Machine Gun Battalion and took them to the Middle East but he was then transferred to the command of the 2/32 Infantry Battalion which he led at El Alamein. He commanded the 26th Infantry Brigade at El Alamein in Egypt, Wareo and Sattelberg in New Guinea and Tarakan in Borneo. From 1946 he worked for Shell until retiring in 1956 and becoming a conciliator with the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. Nicknamed 'Torpy', he also led the Coronation Contingent to Britain in 1953. He died on 21 October 1992 aged 96 years.

Description - height 6 feet 1 inch, weight 154 pounds, chest 35½ - 38½ inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, Church of England.

Colonel J.E. Lee, 'Duntroon: The Royal Military College of Australia 1911-1946', 1952
NAA RecordSearch - Series B2455 (First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920)
AWM Honours & Awards
Duntroon Society Newsletter 2/1984