Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Captain (Acting Lieutenant-Colonel) A. P. White, D.S.O., East Surrey Regiment and South Staffordshire Regiment, late West Riding Regiment, who died of wounds inflicted by Irish terrorists on 12 October 1920

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Cape Colony Lieut., W. Riding Rgt.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps (Lieut., W. Rid. Rgt.) edge bruising, contact marks, nearly very fine (2) £800-1000

D.S.O. London Gazette 8 March 1919; citation 4 October 1919. ‘Capt. (A./Lt.-Col.) Alfred White, 4th Bn., E. Surr. R. attd. 4/5th Bn., S. Staffs. R., T.F.’

‘On the 28th September, 1918, his battalion on the day previous to a general attack on the St. Quentin Canal, was heavily attacked by the enemy in our outpost line near Bellenlise. During the succeeding night he reorganised his battalion and completed with three companies preparations for an attack which was organised for four companies. He led his battalion to the attack, and its success was largely due to his forethought in preparation and coolness in action.’

Alfred P. White was born on 18 January 1882. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd West Riding Regiment (Militia) on 19 March 1900 and was advanced to Lieutenant in April 1902. With them he served in the Boer War, October 1900-October 1902. He was appointed a Captain in the 4th Battalion East Surrey Regiment in November 1909. As such he entered the France/Flanders theatre of war on 25 September 1914. White was appointed a Town Major in March 1916, attached to the 19th Battalion Manchester Regiment; Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel with the same regiment, 12 October 1916-27 April 1917; Acting Major, attached to the 1/5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment, from 4 July 1917 and Acting Lieutenant-Colonel with the the same regiment, from 15 September 1918. For his services during the latter part of the war attached to the the South Staffordshire Regiment, he was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order.

After leaving the Army, Captain White was remobilized on 7 July 1920. When on attachment to Headquarters, Dublin District, on Special Duties, he was killed in Dublin on 12 October 1920.

A newspaper report of the time reads: ‘Dublin was startled this morning to learn that two military officers had been killed in the performance of their duty in Drumcondra, on the north side of the city. The officers and a party of men had gone to a house to make an arrest and soon after they were admitted they were fired on. ... The occupier of the house, Mr John Carolan, a professor in St. Patrick’s Training College, Drumcondra, was wounded, and is in hospital in a precarious condition.

Between 1 and 2 o’clock this morning three officers and a party of soldiers drove to Mr Carolan’s house and were admitted by him. They stated that they wanted a man named Mulcahy who lodged there and Mr Carolan told them that he had not been there for some time. They then announced their intention of searching the house, and two of the officers with Mr Carolan went towards the stairs.

Two young men, who were upstairs, were aroused by the noise. Coming out on the lobby, they opened fire with revolvers and shot the two officers. One of the bullets fired from above appears to have struck Mr Carolan and he fell wounded to the lobby. The soldiers in the hall returned the fire and several shots were exchanged. The two young men then appear to have escaped by the back of the house. ...’

The shootout subsequently resulted in the deaths of the householder, Professor John Carolan, of 37 Upper Drumcondra Road, Dublin (shot by accident) and two of the officers, Major E. Smyth, D.S.O., M.C., R.F.A., and Captain A. White, D.S.O., East Surrey Regiment. The three men were shot by the known Irish terrorists Daniel Breen and Sean Treacy who had been hiding in the upper floor of the house. The two of them, although wounded by gunshots, were able to make good their escape from the back of the house.



With a quantity of copied service papers, reports and other research.