Harold Whitby
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Harold was the only son of George and Mary Whitby (née Yardy). His father George Whitby was born in Thrumpton, Nottinghamshire, in 1863. His mother Mary Yardy was born in Rhyall, Rutland, in 1863, the daughter of Maria Yardy. Mary was baptised in Rhyall parish church on 18 May 1863. It is likely that Mary's older sister, Sarah (b. abt 1855) married Enoch Whitby of Thrumpton in 1879. George and Mary were married at Thrumpton All Saints on 18 January 1887. They had six children one of whom died in infancy. Their five surviving children were born in Thrumpton and baptised at All Saints: Annie birth registered 1889 (J/F/M) bap. 24 March 1889; Eleanor birth registered 1890 (J/F/M) bap. 13 April 1890; Ada b. 1891 bap. 27 September 1891; Ethel b. 1894 bap. 3 June 1894 and Harold b. 17 February 1897 bap. 28 February 1897. In 1891 George, (27) a plaster miner, and Mary were living at The New Buildings, High Street, Thrumpton, with their two daughters Annie (2) and Eleanor (1). They were living on Village Street, Thrumpton, with their five children Annie, Eleanor, Ada (9), Ethel (6) and Harold (4) in 1901. George was now working as a garden labourer. George and Mary were still living in Thrumpton in 1911; George was employed as a gardener (domestic) as was Harold who was the only one of their children to still live at home. Annie had probably married Edmund Leek in 1909 and they and their one-year old son were living in Penkridge, Staffordshire. Ada was one of ten indoor domestic servants at The Grange, Ruddington, the home of Thomas Birkin and his wife Harriet. Ethel was a housemaid at Wilford House, Wilford, in the household of John Thomas Forman and his family. Eleanor has not yet been traced on the census. Service records show that Harold's parents were living at The New Buildings, Thrumpton, when he enlisted and this was also their address on the later CWGC record. George died in 1925. His widow was still living in Thrumpton when the 1939 England & Wales Register was compiled. Mary died in 1944.
2nd Royal Marine Bn Royal Marine Light Infantry formerly Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment). Whitby was one of 'Kitchener's Marines' who were transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RMLI. He enlisted on 10 December 1915 aged 19. Harold was in the draft for the BEF on 25 September 1916 and joined the 4th Entranching Battalion on 10 November. He joined the 1st Royal Marine Bn on 13 November 1916 but was invalided to the UK a month later on 21 December suffering from catarrh. He was in the draft for the BEF the following year, 15 June 1917, joining the 2nd Royal Marine Bn on 10 July. Harold was reported wounded and missing, assumed dead, on 26 October 1917 and is buried in Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Belgium (grave ref. XXVI.D.15). He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Des Turner notes: '600 RMLI transfers came from 2 regiments - 200 from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and 400 from the Sherwood Foresters. They were predominantly ex-miners and labourers, fit men wanted for their ability to dig trenches and tunnels. The 200 KOYLI recruits were transferred to Plymouth Division RMLI and were given service numbers PLY/1(S) to PLY200(S). This was also the case for the Sherwood Foresters 200 who were dispatched to Portsmouth where already 30 men were recruited and so they became PO/31(S) to PO/230(S). 200 remaining Foresters went to Chatham and were numbered CH/1 to CH/200(S).' CWGC - History of Poelcapelle British Cemetery (extract): ' Poelcapele (now Poelkapelle) was taken by the Germans from the French on 20 October 1914, entered by the 11th Division on 4 October 1917, evacuated by Commonwealth forces in April 1918, and retaken by the Belgians on 28 September 1918. Poelcapelle British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the surrounding battlefields and the following smaller cemeteries [listed].' (www.cwgc.org)
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Thy will be done' WW1 Pension Ledgers Index Cards: mother, Mary Whitby
