A true hero we all should be proud of.

 On the Literature cruise I recently attended we were privileged to listen to the words of Nick McKenzie, the award-winning journalist who with another award-winning journalist, Chris Reason, won the "defamation trial of the century", an historic Federal Court lawsuit brought by decorated soldier Ben Roberts-Smith. It was judged that four of the six murder allegations in Afghanistan presented to the court by the journalists in defence of their earlier reporting were substantially true.  

For the final NEW Rookwood blog, I wanted to end the year with a true hero. One who continued to be a hero long after he hung up his uniform. 

JOHN WOODS WHITTLE

John was born on the 3rd of August 1883 on Huon Island Tasmania, one of seven children to Henry Whittle and his wife Catherine. He enlisted as a private in the Tasmanian Contingent during the Second Boer War. He reached South Africa in 1901, saw action in the Cape Colony and returned to Tasmania in 1902 and soon after joined the Royal Navy, serving as a stoker for five years before joining the Permanent Military Forces. 

On the 23rd of July 1909 he married Emily Margaret Roland and together they went on to have six children.

John transferred to the Australian Imperial Force in August 1915 and was sent to France, making Sergeant in late 1916. Sergeant Whittle was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bravery for his actions on the 27th of February 1917, when he bombed an enemy machine-gun post during an attack, forcing the Germans to flee. 

Photographic portrait of John Woods Whittle - AMW 

On the 9th of April 1917, Sergeant Whittle led his platoon in an initial assault against the village of Boursies. When German troops attacked the small trench, he was holding and succeeded in entering it, he gathered his men and charged the enemy, checking the attack and retaining the trench until reinforcements arrived. 

Six days later during a surprise counterattack at Lagnicourt, Sergeant Whittle rushed alone across the fire swept ground attacking an enemy machine gun crew moving forward. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroism on both these occasions. Wounded twice more in 1918, Sergeant Whittle returned to Australia with other VC winners in October 1918 to take part in a planned recruiting drive. Following the Armistice, he was discharged on the 15th of December and eventually lived in Sydney.

Heading home in 1918 - an informal photograph - John is in the middle of the back row - AWM

Like many other returning soldiers John found times were tough and work hard to find. He had a number of jobs, even including a stint at a brewery, but John made a desperate plea in 1932 stating he had been struggling for some time to find work and that his children were badly in need of boots and clothes for winter. Within a month he was employed by the Western Assurance Company. 

On the 7th of February 1934, John was walking through University Park when a small boy waylaid him saying his younger brother had fallen into the lake. Rushing to the area, he dived into the weedy lake and began searching for the boy. A short time later he found the boy unconscious, John brought him back to the bank and applied artificial respiration for almost 30 minutes, the young boy came around and was taken to hospital. John left the scene and proceeded home in a taxi without leaving his name, but his identity was eventually discovered, and he was presented with a Certificate of Merit by the Royal Life Saving Society. John was ill for a few weeks from the effects of swallowing foul water from the ornamental lake. 

VC medalists from Boer War and WW1 in April 1938 - John is fourth from the left in the back row - AWM

During WW2, John's son, Ivan Ernest, served as a private in the 2/33rd AIF battalion. He was killed on the 7th of September 1943 when a B-24 Liberator bomber crashed into his battalions marshalling yard at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

John Woods Whittle died on the 2nd of March 1946 at his home in Glebe of a cerebral haemorrhage. He was survived by his wife, Emily, second son and three daughters. 

John lies in a grave in the Catholic section of Rookwood not far from the Sheehy Ave entrance to the Cemetery. His son, Ivan, is commemorated on his headstone. 

John Woods Whittle grave - find-a-grave

Headstone in close up - find-a-grave

John's plaque in the Garden of Remembrance - find-a-grave

Sergeant John Whittle's VC medal came up for auction in November 2014 and was sold to a private collector for @ $500,000. It was subsequently donated the Australian War Memorial and is proudly displayed in the Hall of Valour. 

John's medals - VC, DCM, medals for Boer War and WW1, King George V jubilee medal and King George VI coronation medal - wikipedia 

John Whittle Woods was a man of integrity and resilience and remained a courageous man who would throw himself into a dangerous situation to assist others. A TRUE HERO.

For today's references I have utilised ancestry.com; the Australian Dictionary of Biography; Wikipedia, NAA and the AWM and the book "Victoria Cross Heroes of World War One" by Robert Hamilton.

Once again if you have any comments or insights or even personal information about John please don't hesitate to add below or at the Group Facebook page found under 

Rookwood Cemetery Discoveries

or send me a personal message via 

lorainepunch@gmail.com

I will be back for one final blog for 2024 - a wrap up of the year's discoveries and highlights. 

In the meantime, have a very Happy Christmas and be grateful for all we have in this beautiful country.