Name
Bertie Charles White
12/07/1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/05/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Driver
66378
Royal Field Artillery
107th Brigade
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MUCH HADHAM (ST. ANDREW) CHURCHYARD
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
"EVER REMEMBERED BY HIS BROTHER RALPH AND SISTERS AGGIE WALKER AND ADA LAMBERT"
UK & Other Memorials
Much Hadham Village Memorial, St Andrew’s Church Memorial, Much Hadham, Stone Bench Plaque, Much Hadham, Congregational Church Memorial, Hadham Cross, Not on the Widford memorials, Not on the Cheshunt memorials
Pre War
Bertie Charles White was born on 12th July 1896 in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, son of George White a, Carman and Ellen White (nee Savell). One of ten children.
1901 Census records Bertie aged 5, living with his parents five sisters and brother Ralph (3) at Old Hall Farm, Much Hadham, Herts. His father is recorded as a Market Garden Foreman. The family had four Boarders living with them all Market Garden employees.
1911 Census, Bertie (15) has left school and is working on a Farm, living with his parents, three sisters and brother Ralph (13) still at Old Hall Farm, Much Hadham. The family had one Boarder living with them.
The family later moved to High Street, Widford, Nr. Ware, Herts.
Wartime Service
Bertie enlisted on 25 January 1915, in London, in the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and issued with the service number 66378. Posted to the RFA, Hilsea Barracks, Portsea Island, Hampshire, on 26th January 1915.
On completion of his training Bertie entered France on 30 August 1915, seeing action on the Western Front.
In November 1916, he was badly gassed and was invalided back to England on 28 January 1917, aboard the Hospital Ship “HMAT Warilda” going to Exeter Hospital. Later he was transferred to The Brompton Hospital.
He was discharged as physically unfit for War Service under Par 392 (xvi) KR, on 21 March 1917, and issued with the Silver War Badge No. 166597.
As was his wish, he was taken back home to Much Hadham on May 15th where he died two days later, of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, apparently in a hut near the Dell Hole at Moor Place. He was buried with full Military Honours in St Andrews & Holy Cross Churchyard, Much Hadham, Herts.
Additional Information
His mother Ellen received a Dependent Pension of 3/- a week from 23rd March 1917, increased to 5/- a week from 6th November 1918. His war gratuity of £9, went to his father George White.
The personal message on his headstone reads: “Ever remembered by his brother Ralph and sisters Aggie Walker and Addie Lambert.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Malcolm Lennox, “Lest We Forget – Much Hadham 1914-18” by Richard Maddams (Much Hadham Forge Museum), Jonty Wild
