Born at Beaumaurice, Victoria. Enlisted 13 February 1915 age 22, journalist. Nok father, James Birtwhistle, 45 Austin St, Subiaco. Embarked at Melbourne 8 May 1915 per A38 Ulysses. Served at Gallipoli and in France. Suffered severe shell shock in France in 1916. RTA per A63 Karoola in February 1917 and medically discharged in June of that year. Birtwhistle split his time between journalism, the Presbyterian Church and service to the community. He was president of the Perth sub-branch of the RSL in the 1930s and a Town of Cottesloe councillor in 1951 when the Cottesloe War Memorial Town Hall was dedicated. Over the years, he was editor of the Western Mail, Sub-editor of The West Australian and the director of a course of journalism at the University of Western Australia and a foundation committee member of the Royal WA Historical Society and WA National Trust. He received an OBE in 1952 and died 15 June 1976. A more complete profile is to be found in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 13, 1993. Service medals: 1914-1915 Star, BWM and VM.
