Thomas White (Australian politician)
Sir Thomas Walter White, KBE, DFC, VD (26 April 1888 – 13 October 1957) was an Australian politician and pilot in the First World War.He joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War and saw service in Australia and the United Kingdom.[4] In August 1914, two weeks after the outbreak of the First World War, White became one of the first four students to begin training at Point Cook as a pilot in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC)."[7] In September he crashed the Boxkite into Point Cook's hangar while attempting to land in a crosswind; the dent he made was never repaired, and came to be recognised as part of the base's history.[10] In April 1915, White was appointed a captain in the Australian Imperial Force and adjutant of the Mesopotamian Half Flight, the first AFC unit to see active service.[1][11] Based initially in Basra on the Shatt-el-Arab waterway and operating primitive Maurice Farman biplanes, the Half Flight assisted the Indian Army during the Mesopotamian campaign, conducting reconnaissance and sabotage missions against Turkish forces.[1][13] On a mission in October 1915, he was forced to land owing to engine trouble and, rather than risk attempting repairs, taxied the aircraft some twenty-four kilometres (fifteen miles) past enemy troops while his observer, Captain Francis Yeats-Brown, kept watch with his rifle at the ready; the "Keystone Cops adventure", as historian Alan Stephens described it, culminated in the engine finally powering up and allowing White to take off and fly to the safety of the Australian base.He married Vera on 22 March at St John's Church of England in Toorak, despite the opposition of some of the Deakin family, including her brother-in-law Herbert Brookes.[1][28] White ran as a Nationalist for the House of Representatives seat of Maribyrnong in the 1925 federal elections, but lost to the sitting Labor member, James Fenton, 19,483 votes to 28,621.[33][34] In January 1933, White was appointed Minister for Trade and Customs in Joseph Lyons's first ministry, replacing Henry Gullett, who had stood down due to ill-health.Although he personally favoured protectionism, his portfolio was responsible for reducing tariffs, as well as attempting to increase trade with Britain as opposed to the United States and Japan.[1] He sympathised with refugees he spoke to during the conference, but he hedged his offer of support: "As we have no real racial problem, we are not desirous of importing one by encouraging any scheme of large-scale foreign migration.[1][40] On 8 November 1938, White resigned his portfolio, having discovered that Lyons had established an inner cabinet from which he was excluded; he was succeeded as Minister for Trade and Customs by John Perkins.[49] In June 1942, he became RAAF Liaison Officer at RAF Flying Training Command, where he worked to improve procedures for commissioning and promoting Australian airmen.[53][54] He served at the RAAF Staff School, located at Mount Martha, Victoria, until his retirement as an honorary group captain;[1][55] he was medically discharged on 28 October 1944.[54][60] A boundary redistribution prior to the December 1949 federal elections reduced Balaclava from 84,000 voters to just under 43,000; White retained the seat against the Labor contender by a margin of 14,361.[63][64] In January 1950, White and the Minister for Supply and Development, Richard Casey, announced that the English Electric Canberra had been selected to replace the RAAF's Avro Lincoln bombers and that the new jet would be manufactured by the Government Aircraft Factory in Victoria.
Minister for AirCivil AviationRobert MenziesArthur DrakefordPhilip McBrideLarry AnthonyMinister for Trade and CustomsJoseph LyonsHenry GullettJohn PerkinsHigh Commissioner to the United KingdomEric HarrisonAustralian ParliamentBalaclavaWilliam WattPercy JoskeNorth MelbourneColony of VictoriaSouth YarraNationalistUnited AustraliaLiberalVera DeakinCitizen Military ForcesAustralian Flying CorpsCitizen Air ForceGroup captainMesopotamian Half Flight6th BattalionMesopotamian campaignEuropean theatreKnight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireDistinguished Flying CrossMentioned in DespatchesColonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' DecorationFirst World WarRed CrossAlfred DeakinHouse of RepresentativesMember for BalaclavaUnited Australia PartycabinetRoyal Australian Air ForceLiberal PartyMinister for Civil AviationKorean WarMalayan EmergencyknightedCitizen Forcesartillerycommissionedsecond lieutenantlieutenantcaptainPoint CookBristol BoxkiteAustralian Aero ClubChief of the Air StaffRichard WilliamsHenry PetreAustralian Imperial ForceadjutantShatt-el-ArabMaurice FarmanIndian ArmyreconnaissancesabotageTurkish forcestaxiedFrancis Yeats-BrownKeystone CopsGeorge KemballAziziyehtelegraphBaghdadAfion Kara HissarConstantinopleOdessaSovietsanti-communismToorakHerbert Brookeslieutenant colonelVictorian police went on strikeNew GuardMaribyrnong1925 federal electionsJames FentonVictorian Legislative AssemblyPrahranSenateby-electionFrederick FrancisAustralian War MemorialCanberrafederal electionDonald CameronDecember 1931 federal electionsfirst ministryprotectionismtariffsRobert GarranSeptember 1934 federal electionsRoyal Life Saving SocietyLegacyRoyal Flying Doctor ServiceOfficer of the Order of the British EmpireRoyal Children's HospitalVictorian Society for Crippled Children and AdultsOctober 1937 federal electionsinter-governmental conference on Jewish refugeesÉvianMunich Agreementconscriptionstood for the UAP's leadershipBilly Hughesflight lieutenantsquadron leaderSomersEmpire Air Training SchemeSeptember 1940 federal electionCharles SandfordRAF Station Bournemouthwing commanderRAF Flying Training CommandBrighton