The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (3942) Private Walter Lewis Whiting, 3rd Battalion and (3943) Private Henry Whiting, 3rd Battalion, 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 Richard Cruise, the story for this day was on (3942) Private Walter Lewis Whiting, 3rd Battalion and (3943) Private Henry Whiting, 3rd Battalion, First World War.

3942 Private Walter Lewis Whiting, 3rd Battalion
3943 Private Henry Whiting, 3rd Battalion
DOW 9 August 1918
No photograph in collection

Story delivered 29 April 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Henry Whiting and his cousin Private Walter Lewis Whiting.

Harry Whiting was born in 1884 to Richard and Catherine Whiting of Adelong, New South Wales. On the outbreak of the First World War he was farming and taking odd carpentry jobs in the Adelong district. He was a big man for his time, well over six feet tall and known to be a very good athlete, cricketer, and tennis player.

Walter Whiting was born in 1893 to James and Annie Whiting of Adelong, New South Wales. Little is known of his early life, although we do know that on the outbreak of the First World War he, like his cousin Harry, was farming in the Adelong district.

On 8 August 1915 Harry, Walter, and Walter's brother Ern went to Cootamundra to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. Walter and Harry were accepted straight away, but Ern was initially turned down for medical reasons. He tried again the following day and was successful, and the three were posted to the 12th reinforcements to the 3rd Battalion.

Walter, Harry and Ern spent longer than expected in camp in Australia because of an outbreak of measles, but finally arrived in Egypt in February 1916. Four months later, after being transferred to France, Walter Whiting came down with meningitis. He became seriously ill and took a year to recover.

In 1917 Ernest Whiting was seriously wounded at Bullecourt. He was eventually boarded medically unfit to continue and was repatriated to Australia in early 1918. Walter was also wounded in 1917 near the Belgian town of Ypres. He suffered a bomb wound to his head, and again had to be evacuated to England. For many months he suffered recurring ear and jaw infections as a result of this wound, and was unable to rejoin his battalion until March 1918.

Harry's health also suffered and he spent a number of short periods in hospital over the following years. Nevertheless, he was considered "one of the finest soldiers who went away" from Adelong, and was spoken about by his mates "in the highest terms of his qualities as a soldier and a comrade".

Four months later, during the great allied advance known as the battle of Amiens, Walter Whiting was finally back together in the trenches with his cousin Harry. Sometime during the early hours of 9 August an enemy aircraft flew over their position and dropped a bomb. The blast killed Harry Whiting outright. Walter Whiting suffered a penetrating chest wound in the same blast and was taken to the 7th Australian Field Ambulance Dressing Station. He died shortly afterwards.

Harry and Walter Whiting were buried side by side in the nearby cemetery. Harry was 34 years old, his cousin was 25. Walter was one of five sons of James and Annie Whiting to serve during the war.

Their names are listed on the Roll of Honour on my right, along with more than 60,000 others from the First World War. There is no photograph in the Memorial's collection to display beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Henry Whiting, his cousin Private Walter Lewis Whiting, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.