Eastern Adelaide Teacher resource.pdf - Army Museum of South ...

from the west over the river, cutting off the easier of two escape routes, they had to
retreat. With numerous casualties and outbreaks of disease, the Light Horse had only
800 effective rifles remaining. "As soon as our meagre rations were consumed,"
Whitmore recalled, "we decided to try and ride our way out of the trap." They climbed
over "terrible limestone cliffs and crags like mountain goats" to escape. Many horses
fell hundreds of metres to their death. Similarly to the evacuation at Gallipoli, their
successful retreat passed into military textbooks as one of history's most epic retreats.
Whitmore's adventures were cut short when he contracted malaria during a recordbreaking
Jordan Valley heat wave. "When one of our chaps saw me, he said: 'We'll
never see Whit again' - but they carted me off to hospital and I pulled through," he
said. Having recovered, Bert served as army camp quartermaster at Ezbekieh
Gardens, Cairo, before setting sail for Australia in August 1919.
Farewelling the Australian Light Horse, their Commander, General Allenby thanked
them for helping "conquer Palestine and Syria". He said, "the Australian Light
Horseman combines a splendid physique and restless activity of mind, rendering him
somewhat impatient of rigid and formal discipline, but giving him the gift of
adaptability mounted or on foot. Eager in advance and staunch in defence, the
Australian Light Horseman has proved himself equal to the world's best, earning the
gratitude of the Empire and admiration of the world".
Back in Adelaide, Bert returned to Tea Tree Gully by horse and buggy before setting
off again on horseback with a government surveying party to pioneer the Riverland,
founding the town of Barmera. He helped build the town and worked as the local
butcher for most of his life. He married Kathleen Whitehead in 1931 and fathered two
children, Murray and Shirley. He also served with the Engineers in World War II as
staff sergeant and was presented with the 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance
Medal in 1999. Albert Whitmore had two children, eight grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren.
He is the only individual honoured by a plaque on the Australian Light
Horse Memorial on East Terrace.
Source: http://www.lighthorse.org.au/Pershist/whitmore.htm
(10) You recorded four names at the Tea Tree Gully War Memorial, in
Question (4), of men who won military awards in the First World War. In
order to find out why they received the honour or award visit the
Australian War Memorial website at
www.awm.gov.au > Biographical Databases > Honours and Awards >
Honours and Awards (Recommendations: First World War)
Enter each soldier’s surname and click on search. Locate their records, click on
the recommendation to find out why they won these awards. Make sure to
include the full name of the award in your answer.
Beames A.E
Meritorious Service Medal
His medal “For conspicuous energy and devotion to duty” referred to the period 25 th
February 1918 until the night of 16/17 September 1918.
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