Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Edward Owen Whittle, a domestic groom, born in the April quarter of 1867 in Oakham, Rutland and baptised on the 22nd May 1870 in St. Mary’s Church, Ashwell, Rutland (son of John Whittle, 1828-1905 and Elizabeth Sharman, 1832-1910) and his wife Laura Isabella Whittle (nee Wilson, married on the 15th April 1890 in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin with St. John, Brington, Northamptonshire), born on the 11th April 1867 in Little Brington and baptised on the 19th May 1867 in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin with St. John, Brington (daughter of Frederick Wilson, 1842 and Sarah Ann Thorneycroft, 1841). Owen William Eric was born on the 18th July 1891 in Market Overton, Rutland and baptised on the 15th August 1891 in the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul, Market Overton, he had one sibling, a brother, Vere Edward Roberts, born 10th June 1900 in Manton, Rutland and baptised on the 15th July 1900 in St. Mary’s Church, Manton, in March 1901 the family home was at Church Lane, Manton.
In April 1911 Owen was employed as a domestic gardener and was residing in the family home at Ayston, Rutland, together with his father, a groom, his mother and siblings, Amy Isabel, a dressmaker, born on the 22nd April 1893 in Market Overton and Vere.
Owen married Louise Ada East on the 18th March 1916 in the Kettering, Northamptonshire district, Louise was born on the 12th June 1896 (daughter of William Yorke East, 1862 and Alice Payne, 1860).
Owen’s widow Louise, married Herbert Foseberry Whitworth in the October quarter of 1923 in the Kettering, Northamptonshire district.
Owen’s younger brother, Vere Edward Roberts died on the 14th February 1919.
Owen’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Kettering into the Regular Army. 1/6/15.
Joined. At place and date not known.
Posted. To Depot Northamptonshire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 18891.
Posted. To 5th (Service - Pioneer) Bn. Northamptonshire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France after the 31st December 1915.
Transferred. To 7th (Service) Bn. Northamptonshire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Killed in action. In the Field. 25/3/18.
Body not recovered. Commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Owen nominated his father, Edward, his mother Laura and his wife Louise as his legatees.
On Friday 18th, August 1916, The Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury published the following article on page 2, under the heading. – MARKET OVERTON. – Owen Whittle, Northants Regt., is reported wounded, not seriously. He is going on satisfactorily.
On Friday August 25th 1916, The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” – MARKET OVERTON MAN WOUNDED. Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Whittle, of Market Overton, have received news that their son, Pte. Owen W. Whittle, of the Northampton regiment, was wounded on the 5th inst., being struck on the right wrist by a splinter of shell. Before joining Kitchener’s Army in June of last year, Pte. Whittle had been for two years a member of the Northampton Borough Police Force.
The War Diary records: 25 Mar-18 - FONCHES. At 8.45 am the Battalion was ordered to co-operate in a counter attack delivered by the French on our right and 8th Division on our left. We came into contact with the enemy east of CURCHY and owing to the French attack on our right not taking place we formed a defensive line together with the remnants of another Division. Owing to our right flank being in the air the enemy got round our flank and behind CURCHY in considerable force, causing us many casualties and forcing us to withdraw to our original line FONCHES – FONCHETTE about 2.00 pm. Troops on both our flanks withdrew too far leaving both our flanks in the air, but they came up into position again about 4.00 pm. Our advanced posts were continually engaged with the enemy throughout the afternoon. We also repulsed a strong German patrol between us and the 72nd Infantry Brigade. About 7.00 pm we withdrew our left flank to conform with the 9th ROYAL SUSSEX REGIMENT and the 13th MIDDLESEX REGIMENT who had been forced out of a village on our left.
On Friday May 3rd 1918, The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MARKET OVERTON.” – PRIVATE OWEN WHITTLE KILLED. – Deep sympathy is expressed for Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Whittle, of Market Overton, who have received the sad news that their elder son, Owen was killed in action on March 25th. He joined the Northampton Regiment on June 1st, 1915, and had been in France nearly two years. Before enlistment he was a member of Northampton Borough Police Force for two years. The Company Officer, writing to the deceased soldier’s young widow, said; - “On the 25th March, as the Battalion advanced against the enemy, your husband was struck by a bullet, and was killed instantly. Please accept my warmest sympathy.”
On the 4th October, 1918 Owen’s widow, Louise Ada, of 23, Salisbury Street, Kettering, Northamptonshire, was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension of thirteen shillings and nine pence, commensurate on the 28th October 1918.
An extract from a short biography contained in the 1920 publication, Rutland & the Great War, compiled by G. Phillips records the following: - He had been a member of the Northampton Borough Police, prior to joining up on the 1st, June, 1915. He went out to France a year later, saw much service with the Northampton Pioneers, and was wounded by a shell splinter in the right wrist in the Battle of the Somme. While the 24th Division was falling back from Peronne towards Amiens in March 1918. Pte. Whittle was fighting continuously from the 21st to the 25th, on which latter date he was killed instantaneously by a bullet wound in the head. On March 18th, 1916 Pte. Whittle married Miss Louise Ada East, youngest daughter of the late Mr. William Yorke East and of Mrs East, of Kettering.
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