Top for collapsible table : Captain C B B White, Royal Australian Artillery

Top for collapsible camp table. The table top is made up of thirteen 625 mm long wooden slats. On the underside, at the outer edges, are a pair of leather straps, which run across the slats, and are screwed to them. On the central slat are the broken remains of a leather buckled strap, intended to fasten the table top when it is rolled for storage, and a leather lifting handle. When unrolled flat, the top is held rigid by a pair of wooden locking bars which are riveted at one end and pivot to clip on to brass posts on the opposite sides of the table. Slots cut into the locking bars enable the top to be securely located on the legs. There are several markings on the bottom of the slats in ink and pencil, some of which are illegible. Those which can be deciphered read 'Capt C.B B WHITE R.A.A.' On the outermost slat are a series of small tacks and some fragments of canvas fabric, which may indicate that the table top originally had an overall canvas covering similar to REL29684.001.

Collapsible camp table used by Captain Cyril Brudenell Bingham White prior to the First World War. White was born at St Arnaud, Victoria, in 1876, but spent his early life in Queensland. He joined the Militia in 1896 and in 1899 joined the permanent forces as a Lieutenant in the Queensland Regiment of Royal Australian Artillery. He served with 1st Commonwealth Horse during the Boer War, and after his return to Australia received his first staff appointment, as aide-de-camp to Major General Hutton, commander of the Australian Military Forces. Nominated by Hutton, he attended the British Army Staff College, Camberley, in 1906, and graduated with good results. After several years in England, attached to the British War Office, White was recalled to Australia as a major, to become director of military operations at Army Headquarters. At the outbreak of war in 1914 he was selected by Major General Bridges to be chief of staff for the new Australian Imperial Force, and took part in the landing at Gallipoli in April 1915. After the death of Bridges in May, he became chief of staff to the new commander, Lieutenant General Birdwood. Promoted brigadier general in October, White was largely responsible for planning the successful evacuation of Anzac in December. Serving on the Western Front for the remainder of the war, he exerted great influence in his role as staff officer to Birdwood. He was suggested as a suitable leader for the Australian Corps when it was formed in 1918, but remained with Birdwood, becoming senior staff officer to the 5th Army. Disappointed with cuts made to the Australian military after the war, he retired as Chief of the General Staff in 1923. In March 1940, after the outbreak of the Second World War, Brudenell White was recalled as CGS, but was killed in an air crash near Canberra on 13 August. The similarity of this table to REL29684.001 & .002 may indicate that White found it so useful that he had a replica made for First World War service.