Victory Medal : Private D White, 15 Machine Gun Company, AIF

Victory Medal. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Associated with the service of Private 284 David White, who was born on 8 July 1885 in Violet Town, Victoria. He was working as a drover in Violet Town at the outbreak of the First World War. He enlisted at the age of 31 on 1 March 1916 and was initially posted to the 19th Depot Battalion in Geelong. In mid April, White was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps in Port Melbourne. He was allotted to the 3rd reinforcements to the 15 Machine Gun Company and sailed from Melbourne in HMAT 'Port Lincoln' on 4 May. After a period of illness in Egypt and further training in England, White was taken on strength of 15 Machine Gun Company on 17 March 1917. The company was later absorbed into 5 Machine Gun Battalion. During 1918, White was wounded on several occasions and was also awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for repeated acts of gallantry and devotion to duty. The citation for the DCM reads as follows: 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. On one occasion he and the No 2 gunner were buried by a shell explosion. Having extricated himself, he dug his companion out, and carried him through heavy shell fire to medical aid. Although severely injured and shaken, he returned to his gun, and carried on with most resolute determination until relieved some hours later. On another occasion, when wounded in the head and face, and almost blinded, he stuck to his gun, and only left his post in obedience to orders. His gallantry and endurance have been very conspicuous on many occasions.' White was wounded again in October 1918 when he was hit in the right shoulder by shrapnel. He embarked from England on 22 December and arrived in Melbourne in February 1919. White was discharged from the AIF on 24 March 1919.