The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- White
- First Name:
- Clive Wharton
- Nick Name:
- Potty
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX8814
- Company:
- ‘C’ Company, 10 Platoon
- Enlisted:
- 23.10.1940
- Discharged:
- 15.01.1946
- DOB:
- 1.05.1917
- Place of Birth:
- Esperance, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- Arthur Wharton White
- Mothers's Name:
- Elsie May Hannah White (nee Jones)
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Butcher
- Singapore:
- Selarang Camp and Barracks Changi
- Force:
- ‘D’ Force Thailand, S Battalion
- Camps Thailand:
- Kanu II, Hintok RoadCamp, Hintok River Camp, Kinsaiyok, Konkoita, Tamarkan, Tamuang, Petchaburi, Nakom Nayok, Bangkok.
- POW#:
- 4/6793
- Return Details 1945:
- Thailand-Singapore by aircraft, Singapore-Fremantle, HMT Highland Brigade
General Description
Wally McCudden WX8820 died Chungkai 21/8/1943 with Potty White (Clive Wharton White WX8814) – mates from Esperance.
Below: Potty’s parents marry at Kalgoorlie in June 1914.
Arthur was born Kapunda, SA in 1886 married in 1914 at Kalgoorlie to Elsie Jones who was born in Victoria in 1890.
Arthur Wharton White was the eldest of three children when his parents James Wharton White and Sophia Agnes Geier moved to Esperance from South Australia. He worked as a government land agent. Another son James Wharton White (Jnr) was born in Esperance in 1899 followed by another daughter.
Arthur who worked for WAGR and Elsie had Iris, Clive, Mona, Thelma, Arthur, Leticia, and Ruth.
In the Electoral Roll prior to Clive enlisting, his father was recorded as farmer, and his mother Elsie was living at Dempster Street, Esperance. Clive was also at Dempster Street and recorded as labourer.
Arthur White died in 1955 at Esperance and Elsie Jones died in Perth in 1964. Both are buried Esperance Cemetery.
Arthur’s father James Wharton White died in 1930 and is also buried at Pink Lake Road, Esperance, with his wife Sophia Agnes. James White remarried and fathered further children following the early death of his first wife Sophia.
After returning from war, it is challenging to track Clive White’s movements. Other than being recorded living in Northam in the Electoral Roll in 1954 with no occupation, again in 1958, 1963 and there are no records to suggest he married. It also seems Clive may have lived his life out on a pension with every reason to believe he may suffered ill health as so many former POWs did.
Clive died in 1969 aged 52 years.
Esperance Boys and mates from ‘C’ Coy, Potty White & Wally McCudden.
McCudden was evacuated sick from the Burma-Thai Railway – he died of beri beri and typhus at Chungkai POW Hospital Camp, Thailand 21 Aug 1943 aged 36 years.
Potty and Wally McCudden were in ‘C’ Coy, Potty in 10 Platoon and McCudden in 12 Platoon.
They were both included in ‘D’ Force Thailand S Battalion which was sent by train from Singapore to work in the Hellfire Pass Cutting.
Camp Locations:
- Selarang Barracks Changi - Singapore
- Selarang Camp Changi - Singapore
- Hintok, 154k - Thailand
- Hintok River Camp, 158k - Thailand
- Kanu II, 152.30k - Thailand
- Kinsaiyok Main, 170.2k - Thailand
- Nakom Nayok, Nakhon Nayok - Thailand
- Petchaburi - Thailand
- Tamarkan, Tha Makham 56k - Thailand
- Tamuang, Tha Muang 39k - Thailand