Edward Austin Whyman
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- Military History
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Edward Austin Whyman was born on 31st August 1889 at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, He was the son of Thomas Edward Whyman, a foreman fitters assistant, and Mary Hannah Whyman née Austin of 13 Ashover Terrace, Mannning Street, Nottingham. His father Thomas Edward was born in Ashton Oundle, Northamptonshire, in 1868 and his mother Mary Hannah Austin in 1861 in Stilton, Huntingdonshire. They were married at St Peters Church, Oundle, Northamptonshire, on 14th January 1889 and went on to have 2 further children, Mary Sophia Newham b1894 Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, and John William b1896 at Kirkby Laythorpe, Sleaford. In the 1911 census the family are living at 13 Ashover Terrace, Manning Street, Nottingham, and are shown as Thomas Edward 43 yrs a foreman fitters assistant, he is living with his wife Mary Hannah 50 yrs and their son John William 15 yrs an errand boy. In the 1911 census we find Edward Austin as a member of the Royal Marines Light Infantry in the rank of private, 21 yrs of age and single, serving in HMS Suffolk at sea off Genoa, Italy. He married Annie Attwell (born 24th October 1887) of 26, Elmsthorpe Avenue, Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham, at All Saints Church, Nottingham, on 6th July 1916.
Private Edwin Austin Whyman joined the Royal Marines in 1908 and served in 8th Royal Marine Light Infantry, He was a veteran of Heligoland Bight and Jutland and survived the sinking of his ship, H.M.S. Nottingham, by U-52 less than two months after his wedding on 19th August 1916. He later saw service in the Zeebrugge raid on 23rd April 1918 and remained with the Royal Marines after the Armistice. He died at the Royal Naval Hospital, Queenstown, of enteric fever on 2nd December 1920 while serving in Ireland. He was buried in Nottingham General Cemetery on 7th December 1920.
His brother John William attested on 11th December 1915 at Nottingham, his was posted to the reserves the following day. He was mobilised for war on 31st January 1916 and posted to the Labour Corps on 2nd February 1916. He was discharged from the army due to defective vision on 30th November 1917; he never served abroad. An article published in the local paper “MARINE FROM H.M.S. NOTTINGHAM. “INTERESTING WEDDING. “Private Whyman, the Royal Marines, who is stated to be the only Nottingham man serving on board H.M.S. Nottingham (although there are several others from the neighbourhood), was married at All Saints' Church, Nottingham, this afternoon, [6th July 1916] his bride being Miss Annie Attwell. Whyman has been on the Nottingham ever since she was commissioned, and came to Nottingham when the pieces of plate were presented on behalf of the city. He was in all the three engagements in which she has participated — Heligoland, Dogger Bank, and Jutland. The ship's luck in escaping injury the men ascribe, he says, to the presence of a black cat on board. “Amongst the wedding presents an engraved silver-plated salver from his shipmates. The engraving, which was done by one of their number, gives not only representation of the present vessel, but her predecessor, the old Nottingham, of 1704. The dates of the new Nottingham battle honours are also inscribed. Four marines from the ship were present at to-day's ceremony.” Above articles courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
