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Rifleman Ronald Hunter White
Description
TitleRifleman Ronald Hunter WhiteSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionRonald was born at Riccarton, Christchurch, on 15th January 1895, son of James and Agnes White. At the time of enlisting he was farming at Shand’s Track, Prebbleton having previously worked for White Brothers. He had previous military experience having been in the Senior Cadets and also time with the Coast Defense unit. He was 5ft 7in tall with fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.
Ronald enlisted at Featherstone on 21st September 1916 and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Reinforcements, G Company. He embarked with them on 19th January 1917 on board the Waitemata for England arriving at Sling Camp on 28th March. He was taken on strength at Codford on 24th April, and posted to 9th Company. However he was admitted to the Endell St Military Hospital in London on 6 May. This hospital was located in Endell Street, London but was notable as being the only hospital staffed entirely by women and was run by suffragists, Drs Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson. He was transferred to the hospital at Walton on Thames 30th May with influenza and bronchitis. It was four weeks until he got back to Codford camp until 27th June after time at Hornchurch Convalescent Depot. He marched out to join the Wellington Infantry Reserve group at Sling on 7th August and left for France on the 20th, reaching Etaples on the 23rd. However it seems he was not really recovered and just 5 days later he was admitted to the No 24 General Hospital at Etaples and died there on 3rd September 1917 of Lobar Pneumonia. This is an acute inflammation of an entire pulmonary lobe, produced in 95% of cases by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci). He was buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery, France. In New Zealand Ronald is remembered on the Prebbleton War Memorial.
Etaples is a town about 27 kilometres south of Boulogne. The Military Cemetery is to the north of the town, on the west side of the road to Boulogne. During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained. The cemetery contains 10,772 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. After the war, a number of graves were brought into the cemetery from other French burial grounds. Of the 119 Second World War burials, 38 are unidentified. Etaples Military Cemetery also contains 658 German burials and a few war graves of other nationalities. The cemetery, the largest Commission cemetery in France, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.First NameRonald HunterLast NameWhiteFamilySingleSon of James and Agnes White, of Balcairn, North Canterbury.Date of Birth15 January 1895Place of BirthRiccarton, ChristchurchDate of Death3 September 1917Place of DeathEtaples, Pas de Calais, FranceCause of DeathDied of disease, lobar pneumoniaAge at Death22Other Biographical InformationNext of Kin: Mrs Agnes White (mother), Shands Track, Prebbleton, Canterbury.
Ronald enlisted at Featherstone on 21st September 1916 and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Reinforcements, G Company. He embarked with them on 19th January 1917 on board the Waitemata for England arriving at Sling Camp on 28th March. He was taken on strength at Codford on 24th April, and posted to 9th Company. However he was admitted to the Endell St Military Hospital in London on 6 May. This hospital was located in Endell Street, London but was notable as being the only hospital staffed entirely by women and was run by suffragists, Drs Flora Murray and Louisa Garrett Anderson. He was transferred to the hospital at Walton on Thames 30th May with influenza and bronchitis. It was four weeks until he got back to Codford camp until 27th June after time at Hornchurch Convalescent Depot. He marched out to join the Wellington Infantry Reserve group at Sling on 7th August and left for France on the 20th, reaching Etaples on the 23rd. However it seems he was not really recovered and just 5 days later he was admitted to the No 24 General Hospital at Etaples and died there on 3rd September 1917 of Lobar Pneumonia. This is an acute inflammation of an entire pulmonary lobe, produced in 95% of cases by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci). He was buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery, France. In New Zealand Ronald is remembered on the Prebbleton War Memorial.
Etaples is a town about 27 kilometres south of Boulogne. The Military Cemetery is to the north of the town, on the west side of the road to Boulogne. During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained. The cemetery contains 10,772 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. After the war, a number of graves were brought into the cemetery from other French burial grounds. Of the 119 Second World War burials, 38 are unidentified. Etaples Military Cemetery also contains 658 German burials and a few war graves of other nationalities. The cemetery, the largest Commission cemetery in France, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.First NameRonald HunterLast NameWhiteFamilySingleSon of James and Agnes White, of Balcairn, North Canterbury.Date of Birth15 January 1895Place of BirthRiccarton, ChristchurchDate of Death3 September 1917Place of DeathEtaples, Pas de Calais, FranceCause of DeathDied of disease, lobar pneumoniaAge at Death22Other Biographical InformationNext of Kin: Mrs Agnes White (mother), Shands Track, Prebbleton, Canterbury.
Connections
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryEtaples Military CemeteryPrebbleton War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingFarmerRegiment or ServiceNew Zealand Rifle BrigadeEnlistment Details21st September 1916Service Number36506Embarkation19th January 1917Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportWaitemataTheatre of WarFranceCountryNew Zealand
Rifleman Ronald Hunter White. Selwyn Stories, accessed 11/02/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/446
