The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of Lieutenant Frederick Francis Whitelaw, 29th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Troy Clayton, the story for this day was on Lieutenant Frederick Francis Whitelaw, 29th Battalion, AIF, First World War.

Lieutenant Frederick Francis Whitelaw, 29th Battalion, AIF
Died of Wounds 10 August 1918


Today we remember and pay tribute to Lieutenant Frederick Francis Whitelaw.

Frederick Whitelaw, known as “Ted”, was born in 1888 to William and Ruth Whitelaw of Kerang, Victoria. His father left the family around the turn of the century, probably before Frank had turned ten, and Ruth was left to support her family alone. After completing his schooling, Ted went on to become an accountant for a local jeweller, Mr. Waddell. His younger brother Frank would later undertake a watchmaking apprenticeship at the same establishment. Ted was a noted footballer and cricketer in the Kerang district, and was known as “an all-round athlete”.

Ted Whitelaw enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915. He underwent a period of training in Australia before leaving for active service overseas with reinforcements to the 14th Battalion in November. He disembarked in Egypt on 20 December, meeting several men he knew from the Kerang district in military camps shortly afterwards.

With his training soon started, Whitelaw wrote home to say “things are not too rosy at all. At 7 am we now go for a four-mile journey, two out and two home, which is covered mostly at the double, and rapid marching, sandwiched with a five minutes’ spell. It shakes the boys up, I can tell you. The weak ones soon drop out. For those not in good nick it is rather severe.”

Whitelaw had arrived in Egypt just before the AIF underwent a period of reorganisation and expansion following the evacuation from Gallipoli. As part of this process he was transferred to the newly-formed 46th Battalion. His leadership qualities were soon recognised, and in April 1916 he was promoted to corporal.

In June 1916 the 46th Battalion was sent to France. It was first sent to the French-Belgian border to gain experience of Western Front conditions in a quieter sector of the line. From there they were sent south to take part in the vicious fighting around the French village of Pozieres.

The 46th Battalion played a secondary role at Pozieres. On 8 August 1916 they moved into the front line, where they supported an attack made by the 45th Battalion. Nevertheless, the entire Pozieres sector was under constant shell-fire. While in the front line, Whitelaw’s platoon sergeant was killed, and Whitelaw took charge for the next four days until his unit could be relieved. As a result, Whitelaw was sent to Balliol College in Oxford to study for his commission.

In November 1916 Ted Whitelaw received his commission. The following month he was back on the battlefields of France, having been transferred to the 29th Battalion. Around the time he returned, one of his men wrote in a letter, “He is one of a thousand. The company and the officers think the world of him.”

On the morning of 2 March 1917, a party of the 46th Battalion took part in an attack near the French town of Bapaume. Lieutenant Whitelaw was put in charge of the attacking party, leading them across no man’s land and into the German trench where they “immediately encountered fierce opposition”. Floundering in the deep mud, the attacking party was forced to withdraw. Whitelaw immediately reorganised the party and led it in a second attack on the objective, and succeeded in capturing around 250 metres of trench, 14 prisoners and a machine-gun.

Whitelaw, who was “always at the head of his party and showed great dash and daring” during the operation, was later awarded the military cross for his actions. He sent the medal home to his mother for safe-keeping. The local newspaper noted that “the parents and family are to be congratulated in having a member who has so nobly distinguished himself in the performance of his hazardous duty. The whole of the Kerang district is proud of him”.

In June 1916, Whitelaw went to England on leave, spending most of his time in and around London. There he met a friend from Kerang, Sergeant Carruthers, who spent two days with him. Carruthers wrote, “he looks particularly well, and no doubt he is some soldier.” During his leave, however, Ted received word that his younger brother Frank, who had enlisted six months after Ted, was killed in action on the 7th of June at Messines. Carruthers wrote “the last few days of his furlough were anything but pleasant for him.”

Lieutenant Whitelaw spent the latter half of 1917 in and around the muddy, sodden battlefields of the Ypres salient. In November he wrote, “our last turn in the line was by no means a picnic. Rain, mud and shells galore was the order of our tour, and to sum it up, things were very uncomfortable indeed.” Shortly afterwards he fell sick with trench fever, and was sent to hospital in England.

Whitelaw returned to the France shortly before the Germans launched their massive Spring Offensive in early 1918. On the morning of 24 April he was in command of No. 1 Picquet at Sailly-le-Sec, when it came under a heavy barrage of artillery fire, which included gas shells. Through the mist, Whitelaw saw between 250 and 300 Germans advancing on his post. Quickly organising his men, Whitelaw “was instrumental in driving off the attack” through his coolness and energy. His men would withstand two attacks on their position, and inflict heavy casualties on the enemy. Whitelaw was later mentioned in dispatches for his conduct.

On 8 August the 29th Battalion took part in the battle of Amiens, the Allies’ great offensive that would ultimately lead to the end of the war. At 5.35 am the men moved forward through heavy fog to their jumping off positions, launching their part of the attack at 11.40 am. The unit war diary notes that “great bravery was exhibited by all ranks in advancing against extremely heavy enemy machine gun fire and ultimately silencing all opposition.”

During the operation, Lieutenant Ted Whitelaw was struck in the abdomen by a shell fragment. He was transferred to a nearby casualty clearing station where he died of his wounds on 10 August 1918.

The death of Ted Whitelaw became the talk of Kerang, and “everywhere expression of regret were heard.” Ted was buried in the Pernois British Cemetery at Halloy-les-Pernois, where he lies today, under the words “he hath fought a good fight. He hath finished his course.” He was 29 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Lieutenant Frederick Francis Whitelaw, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Meleah Hampton
Historian, Military History Section