(Cyril) Brudenell Bingham White was born on 23 September 1876 at St Arnaud, Victoria. In 1892 he joined the Australian Joint Stock Bank in Brisbane as a Clerk, studying at the same time to become a barrister. While at Gympie in the service of the Bank, White was a keen volunteer soldier in the local Wide Bay Infantry Regiment. He was appointed as a provisional Lieutenant in 1896 and was confirmed as a Lieutenant in 1897. In 1902 White went to South Africa as a Subaltern in the 1st Australian Commonwealth Horse sent to the Boer War.

On White's return to Australia in 1903, he spent a year at the Gunnery School in Sydney, then was appointed Aide-de-Camp to Major-General Edward Hutton. In 1906 and 1907 White was the first Australian officer to attend the Staff College at Camberley in England. On his return to Australia he was on the General Staff with the position of Director of Military Operations from June to October 1908. White was then invited to return to Britain as a Lecturer on the General Staff of the Imperial Army and from 1909 to August 1911 he lectured to the British Divisions in England and Ireland.

In January 1912 White was given the rank of Major and returned to Australia as Director of Military Operations and General Staff Officer. During this time he planned the mobilization of Australian forces and was, in part, responsible for Australia sending an autonomous Division to the war instead of merging Brigades with the Imperial Army. The concept of an Australian force arose from this. 

At the outbreak of war on 5 August 1914 White was Chief of Staff to General Bridges in the 1st Division of the Australian Imperial Force. He held this position after the death of Bridges on 18 May 1915, until the appointment of General Birdwood as Commander of the Australian Imperial Force with Colonel Legge as Chief of Staff in command of the 1st Division.

On 9 September 1915 White replaced Sheen, Chief of Staff to General Birdwood, Commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The 1st Division had by this time been, in the main, transferred to the ANZAC Corps. White and Birdwood were responsible for the reorganisation of the AIF into one mounted and five infantry Divisions. From 22 November 1915 to 19 January 1916 White was Chief of Staff to General Godley in the absence of Birdwood who was Acting Commander-in-Chief at Imbroz.

In May 1918 Birdwood was promoted to command the Fifth British Army while still retaining administrative control of the AIF. White was transferred with him and acted as Chief of Staff of that Army and of the AIF until the conclusion of hostilities.

For a short period during 1918 and 1919 White was on the Demobilization Board in London, until this post was taken over by Monash. White returned to Australia in 1920 and was given the post of Chief of the Australian General Staff. He drew up a plan of training citizen soldiers, put into operation by Menzies in October 1939. It was then implemented by White who was recalled as Chief of the General Staff on 18 March 1940.

From 1920 until White's retirement from the Army in 1923 he was a Military Member of the Air Council and Military Member of the War Railway Council. He was a Member of the Council of Defence until 10 April 1935 and was also a member of the Australian War Museum and the Board of the Australian War Memorial.

White was Commonwealth Organiser during the visit of the Prince of Wales to Australia in 1920 and again in 1926 for the visit of the Duke of York.

On 11 June 1923 White was appointed first Chairman of the Public Service Board for a term of five years. After White's term as Chairman of the Public Service Board he was appointed as Chairman of the Australian Board and Superintendent of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency. At this time he was also on the Colonial Appointments Committee; the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee; the Baillieu Education Trust and the Northcote Children's Immigration Fund.

On the death of General Squires on 3 March 1940, White was asked to become Chief of the General Staff, which he did until his death in an air crash on 13 August 1940 near Canberra Airport.

Agency associated with person unregistered

       1903-19 Jan 1904: School of Gunnery, Sydney - student
19 Jan 1904- 1 Jan 1905: Commander-in-Chief of Australian Forces,
                         Major General, Sir Edward Hutton - Aide de
                         Camp
   Nov 1908-   Aug 1911: Imperial Army General Staff - lecturer
 1 Jan 1912-       1914: Department of Chief of General Staff -
                         General Staff Officer, Director of Military
                         Operations
 5 Aug 1914-18 May 1915: 1st Division of Australian Imperial Force -
                         Chief of Staff
14 Aug 1914- 9 Sep 1915: Royal Australian Garrison Artillery -
                         Lieutenant Colonel
 9 Sep 1915-31 May 1918: ANZAC Corps Headquarters - Chief of Staff 
31 May 1918-       1919: Fifth British Army - Chief of Staff to
                         General Birdwood
       1918-       1919: Demobilization Board, London - Member
 1 Jun 1920-       1923: Australian Military Forces - Chief of
                         General Staff
16 Mar 1940-13 Aug 1940: Australian Military Forces - Chief of the
                         General Staff