The AIF Project

Walter Whitfield RAW

Regimental number3527
Place of birthHawthorn, Victoria
SchoolWesley College, Melbourne, Victoria
Other trainingMelbourne University, Engineering
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationStudent
AddressMorley, 15 Shoobra Road, Elsternwick, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation19
Height5' 9"
Weight140 lbs
Next of kinJ Raw, 15 Shoobra Road, Elsternwick, Victoria
Previous military serviceServed in Melbourne University Rifles.
Enlistment date8 March 1915
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll9 March 1915
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name7th Battalion, 11th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/24/3
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 11 October 1915
Rank from Nominal RollLance Sergeant
Unit from Nominal Roll59th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Place of death or woundingFromelles, France
Age at death20.10
Age at death from cemetery records20
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsV.C. Corner (Panel No 15), Australian Cemetery Memorial, Fromelles, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
168
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: John and Esther RAW, "Leura", 55 Shoobra Raod Elsternwick, Victori. Native of Hawthorn, Victoria
Family/military connectionsUncle: 3143 Sergeant Clement RAYSON, 59th Bn, killed in action, 29 September 1918; Cousin: [759] 2nd Lt Fred Christmas, 3rd Pioneer Bn, killed in action, 27 June 1917.
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Joined 7th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 20 January 1916.

Appointed Lance Corporal, 1 February 1916; promoted Corporal, 15 February 1916, and appointed Acting Sergeant same day.

Transferred to and taken on strength of 59th Bn, 24 February 1916.

Promoted Temporary Sergeant, Duntroon Plateau, 4 March 1916.

Ceased to be Acting Sergeant, and appointed Lance Sergeant, 27 May 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 18 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Posted missing, 19 July 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 29 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 19 July 1916'.

Handwritten note on Form B103: 'Buried B1056 Sheet 22'.

Note, Red Cross File No 2240903: 'No trace Germany. Cert by Capt. Mills. 10.10.19.'

Statement, 1705 Pte L. JOHNSON, C Company, 59th Bn, 4 September 1916: 'He was killed at Fleurbaix on July 19th. Pte. A. Woodcock, IX. C. told me this during the bombardment prior to the charge. He gave me this information at about 5.30. p.m. on the 19th, half an hour before we went over. Raw was only a short distance from me when he was killed, and Woodcock told me immediately.'

Second statement, 1675 Pte R.L. DOUSSET, 59th Bn (patient, St John's Hospital, Etaples), 29 January 1917: 'After going over in the attack at Armentieres, some little distance, he was struck by a shell, and very badly wounded. I was with him when he died shortly after, and then had to pass on.'
SourcesNAA: B2455, RAW Walter Whitfield
Red Cross File No 2240903

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