Return to menu Return to 33rd Battalion page
Died: 19th October 1917. killed in Action Passchendaele, Belgium.
Mother: Margaret Whiteman. nee: Hardy. (18..-1906)
Howard Joseph Whiteman enlisted at Narrabri, N.S.W with the 6th Reinforcements, 33rd Battalion on the 12th of April 1916
and embarked onboard HMAT A72 "Beltana" on the 25th of November 1916.
Howard was killed in Action at Passchendaele, Belgium on the 19th of October 1917 and is remembered
with honour and is commemerated in perpetuity by the Commonweath War Graves Commission at the MENIN GATE MEMORIAL, Ypres.
18/06/1918
Informant: Lance Sergeant: 471 William Albert LITTLE. B company 33rd Battalion.
I knew Private: 2090 Howard Joseph WHITEMAN. He was at that date attached to the 9th Field Engineers and was not with this
Battalion at all then the only chance of information is from the 9th engineer chaps.
33rd B Company, Westham, England.
24/06/1918.
Informant; Lieutenant: 2909 Edgar Aubrey CLARENCE. Private: 2909
Howard Joseph WHITEMAN did belong to this Battalion. Although we do not hold records for that date I should say it is quite probable
that he was attached to the 9th Field Company Engineers at the time of his death for prior to our going forward to the attack on
Passchendaele, we sent and officer and twenty men to the Field Company work on making roads etc. Incidentally the officer has since
become a P.O.W. in German hands. When his old company comes out of the line I will institute enquiries among the men to see if I can
glean any particulars of his death. It is very doughtful if anything will be forthcoming as there are very few of the old hands left.
France.
26/02/1919.
Informant; Sergeant: 517 Leslie PATTERSON B Company 33rd Battalion. Informant describes
Private: 2909 Howard Joseph WHITEMAN as about 5ft 6in high, slight build, dark complexion,
aged about 30. Informant states that they both belonged to B Company. On the 19.10.17 the Battalion was in action
at Passchendaele. They hopped over early in the morning. WHITEMAN was killed outright by a shell while they were
advancing in the course of the morning. Informant was about 50 yards away and saw WHITEMAN soon after he had
fallen. He went quite close to him and recognised him as he passed, but never heard where WHITEMAN was buried.
The objectives were captured. According to informant WHITEMAN was a well liked chap.
No: 4 Australian General Hospital, Randwick, N.S.W.
(Studio Photo; Australian War Memorial)
Howard was a single 24 year old Grazier from Narrabri, N.S.W. upon enlistment. His parents John Vinel and Margaret Whiteman
were married in 1880 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Marriage Cert:4156/1880 and had 9 children. Adelaide A Whitemen born 1881 at Narrabri,
N.S.W. (No Birth Record) and died in 1881 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Death Cert:9426/1881. Abel "Albert" Travis Whiteman born 1882
at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:23602/1882 and died in 1958 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Death Cert:31953/1958. Woodley Dowling Whiteman
born 1883 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:25921/1883. Ella H Whiteman born 1885 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:27945/1885.
John W Whiteman born 1887 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:29607/1887. Victor A Whiteman born 1889 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth
Cert:29055/1889. Howard Joseph Whiteman born 1891 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:24134/1891 and died in 1917
at Passchendaele, Belgium. Virlie V Whiteman born 1893 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:24680/1893. Margaret A
Whiteman born 1896 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Birth Cert:32799/1896.
Howards father John Vinel Whiteman was born in 1868 at Patricks Plains, N.S.W. Birth cert:14899/1868 and died in 1916 in Sydney,
N.S.W. Death Cert:10333/1916. His mother Margeret Whiteman died in 1909 at Narrabri, N.S.W. Death Cert:6285/1909.
(Australian National Archives)
Under Construction 24/10/2010.
Web Counter