Robert Parkinson Whiteside
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Robert was the son of Robert William (a foreman/joiner) and Mary Ann Whiteside and the brother of Margaret A, Mary Jane and Elsie Whiteside. His uncle, Councillor A. L. Parkinson, was later the Mayor of Blackpool. At the time of the 1901 Census, the family lived at 34A South Beach. In 1911, they lived at 10, Carleton Terrace and, later at 'Airedale', Whitegate Drive (all Blackpool). Robert's effects of £4,152 8s went to his father.
Whiteside joined the army 25/11/1915. He entered University College Nottingham's Officers Cadet Corps in 1916 and was commissioned Temporary 2nd Lieutenant (on probation) in the Liverpool Regiment 22/11/1916.Scott Roberts, who is researching Whiteside's life and military career notes:'Joined the King’s Liverpool Regiment at Pembroke Dock (I believe that this may have been 3rd Bn KLR, as they were a training Bn based at Pembroke Dock at that time)Killed in Action 28 April 1917. This is something of a mystery at the moment. The official history of the KLR lists him as killed in action on 28 April 1917, and gives his unit as 1st Battalion KLR. While 1 KLR were in support of offensive action that day as part of the wider Arras offensive, no casualties are listed in the Bn War Diary. The battalion diarist was pretty diligent at listing casualty numbers, and naming officer casualties, yet the name Whiteside does not appear in the 1 KLR War Diary at all for 1917, either as a casualty or for any other reason. I suspect that Whiteside may have been cap badged 1 KLR but actually serving with some other unit, but can’t figure out which one. 17 Bn Middlesex Regiment and 13 Battalion Essex Regiment were both in the same Brigade as 1 KLR and were both in action at Arras on 28 April 1917, but neither of those make any mention of Whiteside either. The other bns of the KLR don’t seem to have seen action that day.''Whiteside’s CO, Lt Col S. E. Norris, wrote a letter of condolence to his family, an extract of which was published in a local newspaper. It said that Whiteside was killed in France while "gallantly leading a section of Lewis guns, of which he was temporarily in command, forward to reinforce another battalion in difficulties when an enemy bullet hit him in the head and killed him instantly.”'
He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Bay 3, Course G, Stone 8. A memorial service for Robert was held at the Whitegate Drive Baptist Church, Blackpool in May 1917, attended by many of his family and friends. He is also commemorated on the London Joint City and Midland Bank memorial at HSBC’s headquarters in Canary Wharf, London.
