WW1 Private John White – WWI 31913, WWII 5/5/328

John White was born in Waiuku Auckland on 2 November 1884 to Ann and Samuel Coupland White. On attestation on 24 July 1916, he gave his employment as wheelwright in Seddon, Marlborough and his next of kin as his mother Mrs Ann White of Clonbern Rd, Remuera.

He joined the 19th or 20th Reinforcements as a Rifleman. He left New Zealand on the Port Lyttelton in the N Z Rifle Brigade, 11th Reinforcements, 4th Battalion, H Company on 07 Dec 1916, arriving in England on 18 February 1917. Later on 16 April 1917 he transferred to the Group Band of the 5th Rifle Brigade. Later reports record him as Bandsman (Tenor trombone). He left for France on 28 July 1917 as a Private in the 3rd Battalion Auckland Regiment, then Canterbury Regiment. [1] He returned to New Zealand on the Port Hacking troop ship on August 16th, 1919. [2]

When WW2 started, he was living in Wellington as a motor body builder, married with three children. He enlisted in the Home Defence National Guard Company (a form of territorials) in March 1941 at the given age of 53, his date of birth showing as 2 November 1886 or 1882 (not 1884). He transferred to N Z Temporary Staff at Waiouru Military Camp with rank of Sergeant on 20.3.1941 but had chronic rheumatism and was deemed not fit to live in camp in May 1945. He died 28 November 1949.

J White is on the Remuera Primary School memorial gates as having died in WW1. However it is likely that this was an error and it was John Leigh White.