White was commissioned as a second lieutenant (on probation) in the
3rd (Reserve) Battalion,
South Staffordshire Regiment, on 30 March 1915, and was confirmed in his rank on 2 November. White served in the trenches of the Western Front, where he won the
Military Cross, which was
gazetted on 26 May 1917. His citation read: :Second Lieutenant Victor Rodney Stokes White, South Staffordshire Regiment, Special Reserve. ::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when acting as Forward Observation officer. He constantly moved about in the open under very heavy fire and obtained most valuable information." However, by the time of his award White had been seconded to the
Royal Flying Corps, having been appointed a flying officer (observer) on 28 April 1917. He was promoted to lieutenant in the South Staffordshires on 1 July 1917, while remaining seconded to the RFC. Posted to
No. 45 Squadron White gained his first aerial victory on 13 July, flying in a
Sopwith 1½ Strutter with pilot Captain
Geoffrey Cock, by driving down out of control an
Albatros D.III fighter east of
Polygon Wood. He was also transferred to
No. 20 Squadron, to fly in
Bristol F.2b fighters. On 25 September, with pilot Second Lieutenant N. V. Harrison, he shot down in flames an
Albatros D.V fighter over Becelaere. White was then paired with pilot Captain
Harry Luchford with whom, in the space of five days between 17 and 21 October, he destroyed four enemy aircraft; two D.V fighters, and
DFW and
LVG reconnaissance aircraft. His citation read: :Second Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant) Victor Rodney Stokes White, South Staffordshire Regiment, Special Reserve, and Royal Flying Corps. ::"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. While acting as observer on an offensive patrol he and his pilot shot down an enemy
scout in flames. Later, while on a reconnaissance with three other machines, he and his pilot engaged eight enemy aeroplanes and shot down and destroyed one of them. On another occasion they destroyed one of three hostile scouts and also a hostile two-seater machine." White then returned to England to train as a pilot, being appointed a flying officer on 18 March 1918, with seniority from 28 April 1917. On 1 August 1919 White was granted a permanent commission as a lieutenant (later flying officer) in the RAF, but on 13 December 1922 was placed on the retired list on account of his ill-health contracted on active service.
List of aerial victories ==World War II==