Brothers in Arms
Published 21 April 2022
This photograph captures the pride and spirit of two brothers, proudly posing together in uniform and ready to serve their country without hesitation. They were unaware of the pain, loss and tragedy that awaited them and thousands of other soldiers in what was described as the ‘war to end all wars’. In retrospect, the image is now eerily haunting.
In the years before the outbreak of war, the White family enjoyed their status as early pioneers of North Pine. They ran a successful dairy farm called Oak Farm, which was ideally situated in Petrie on the edges of the North Pine River. The farm stayed in the White family until Australian Paper Manufacturers purchased it as a site for Petrie Carton Board Mill. The site is now home to the University of Sunshine Coast (USC) Petrie Campus.
At the outbreak of WWI, all five sons of the White family answered the call and enlisted. Fredrick White, affectionately known as Fred, enlisted on 7 September 1915, and his younger brother Albert enlisted a few weeks later, on 21 September 1915, with both becoming part of the 25th Battalion.
After initial training in Queensland, both brothers were shipped to England for final training aboard the R.M.S Mooltan before being sent to France.
Albert White was wounded in action near Flers on 14 November 1916 with a gunshot wound to the thigh. He returned to active service in France in February 1917 and was injured for a second time in March with multiple injuries to his head, shoulder and hand. Due to the severity of his wounds, he was transported to England for medical care.
Frederick White was also wounded in action near Flers in November 1916, with a gunshot wound to the ankle. After returning to his unit in January 1917, he was again injured, taking shrapnel to his right shoulder. After a brief recuperation in England, he returned to his Battalion in July 1917.
Both brothers were together with their Battalion in June 1918 when they were involved in heavy fighting in the battle of Morlancourt in the Somme Valley. During this battle, on 10 June 1918, Albert was mortally wounded and left lying in ‘no-mans-land’ between the lines. In a desperate attempt to save his brother, Frederick crawled out under fire to bring his brother to safety. Tragically, they were both shot with machine-gun fire just meters from safety, mere months before the War ended on 11 November 1918. They died in each other’s arms - a testament to a brother’s unconditional love.
Sadly, this story is all too familiar, with many families experiencing the tragedy of losing multiple family members during the Great War.
Discover the history of our region’s ANZAC heroes at ourstory.moretonbay.qld.gov.au
If you or a family member is struggling with physical or mental health as a result of current or ex-service in the Australian Defence Force, visit Mates4Mates and find out how you can find help.