Reginald Francis White

Second Lieutenant · NZ #1174 · T2 Patrol

What this roll records

As Second-Lieutenant led the reconstituted R2 patrol at the Scumbardo coastal battery during the battle of Leros, directing its fire landwards against the German landings. After the surrender, with four men, baled out a sunken rowing boat at Serocampo Bay and made a perilous voyage to escape near Bodrum. Source: ‘Invasion of the Dodecanese Islands’ (Battle of Leros / Assault on Levita), Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (NZ official war history).

Patrol T2: "Cpl R.F. White", T2 Patrol. NOTE initials given as R.F. (sheet has F.R.); likely same man. Patrol from Brendan O'Carroll, "The Long Range Desert Group in North Africa".

Duplicate army number (2026): number 1174 also appears on the roll against ‘Burnnand, W.D.’ (Trooper, T1 Patrol). These appear to be two different men, so one of the two numbers is very likely a transcription error. Flagged for verification.

The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): Capt. R. F. White — farmer, Hororata; born England, 21 Mar 1910; patrol commander LRDG.

Patrol commander: commanded R2 Patrol. Kiwi Scorpions (Appendix II — Commanders of NZ Patrols).

Farmer, of Hororata; born England, 21 Mar 1910. Patrol commander LRDG. Source: Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (biographical notes).

New Zealand (A) Squadron, LRDG — R2 Patrol at disbandment, 10 December 1943. Source: Brendan O’Carroll, ‘The Long Range Desert Group in the Aegean’ (Appendix IV, New Zealand (A) Squadron Disbandment Roll, 10 December 1943).

Farmer, of Hororata in civilian life. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Embarkation detail from his Cenotaph record: he embarked as Trooper, 2nd Divisional Cavalry Regiment; on a second embarkation as SECOND LIEUTENANT, 2nd Divisional Cavalry Regiment - a wartime commission. This agrees with the rank held on this card. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record C142905.

Cenotaph record linked. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

The prefix NZ has been added to his service number, on the authority of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph record already linked on this card — the Museum holds him as a New Zealand service person. The digits are unchanged. This roll formerly left the number unmarked, which made it look like a British number to anyone reading the field rather than the card.

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Not By Strength But By Guile