WW1 AUSTRALIAN GALLIPOLI 1ST DAY LANDER & WOUNDED MEDAL GROUP 400 PTE T WHITEAR ANZAC

WW1 Australian Gallipoli ‘1st day lander’ medal trio to Private T.H. Whitear, 4th Battalion A.I.F. who was most likely also a 1st day wounded casualty.

1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, impressed named 400 PTE T.H.WHITEAR. 4 BN.AIF. Rising sun collar badge. Comes with copies Australian Army service papers, copy embarkation roll & newspaper casualty list, unit diary April 1915, Passenger list 1911. Professionally glass framed and mounted display. Frame Size 54cm x 33cm. Items can be sent without frames at buyer’s request.

Thomas Henry Whitear was born in Newton Abbot, Devon, England in 1888. He emigrated to New South Wales in 1911, his occupation was recorded as a miner.  He enlisted on the 31/8/1914 to the 4th Battalion A.I.F. After only two months training, the battalion was among the first Australian units to be deployed overseas. Pte Whitear embarked on H.M.A.T Euripides on the 20/10/1914, arriving in Egypt 2/12/1914. After this the battalion undertook further training and took part in the defence of the Suez Canal before landing at ANZAC Cove 25th April 1915 as part of the 2nd & 3rd wave. Pte Whitear is listed on the embarkation roll as serving with ‘E’ Coy, but ‘B’ Coy on his casualty sheet. At some stage he was wounded, possibly on the 25th and evacuated to the transport ship Derflinger. From there, evacuated 29/4/15 landing at Alexandria 1/5/1915 and sent to hospital at Ras El Tin. He returned to Australia 17/7/15 with a ‘bullet in forearm’ and discharged 9/3/1916.  4th Battalion casualties between 25 & noon 30th April: Officers 2 KIA 6 WIA. Other Ranks 26 KIA 89 WIA. 67 MIA. Total 8 officers & 182 men. During the day the medical services were overwhelmed. The suffering of the wounded was pitiful; many men died on the beach, and it is estimated that hundreds more lay in the hills out of the reach of help. Most notably, there were inadequate arrangements for the critically wounded, who could not be taken back to the ships until after all the troops and stores had been landed. It was early evening before boats became available; many of the maimed and bleeding were sent off in filthy barges. No one knows for sure how many Australians died on the first day, perhaps 650. Total casualties, including wounded, must have been about 2,000. This news trickled in to the Australian newspapers. Even a month after the landing, only 350 deaths had been acknowledged. A note from a Sgt in the 6th Manchester’s about Alexandria: The Derflinger had returned from the Dardanelles the previous day with 580 wounded Australians and it is said that they were disembarked in about four hours. It is also said that two fell overboard and drowned. There were many Australians on board the Derflinger, having been in the Dardanelles, but having returned with the wounded, and they had a remarkable story to tell about what the Australians had gone through.