Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William North Whittle, a carpenter and joiner, born in the April quarter of 1860 in Queniborough, Leicestershire and baptised on the 29th April 1860 in St. Mary’s Church, Queniborough (son of George Whittle, 1832-1912 and Susan North, 1835-1872) and his wife Mary Elizabeth Whittle (nee Gamble, married on the 24th June 1886 in the Church of St. Peter & Paul, Syston, Leicestershire), born in the October quarter of 1866 in Syston and baptised on the 11th November 1866 in the Church of St. Peter & Paul, Syston (daughter of Edward Gamble, 1827 and Martha Wilkinson Louth (Loweth), 1830-1883). George was born in the April quarter of 1892 in Leicester. George’s father died aged 40 years on the 5th December 1900 in Leicester. In March 1901 George was residing in the family home at Nottingham Road, Leicester, together with his widowed mother, a shoe trade machinist and fitter and his sibling Susan Mary, born in the April quarter of 1888 in Syston and baptised on the 18th September 1888 in the Church of St. Peter & Paul, Syston. George’s widowed mother married Arthur Poyzer Harrison in the April quarter of 1901 in Leicester. In April 1911 George was absent from the family home at 101 Argyle Street, Leicester, residing there was his step father, Arthur Percy Harrison, an off licence owner and coal merchant, born 1877 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, his mother assisting in the family business and his half-blood sibling, Arthur Harrison, a schoolboy, born in the January quarter of 1902 in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, meanwhile, George was employed as a grocer’s assistant and was residing at 8, Curzon Place, Curzon Street, Leicester together with his sister, Susan, a boot trade machinist.
George’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 Leicester into the Regular Army. Circa October 1915.
Joined. At Leicester. Date not known.
Posted. To Royal Army Medical Corps. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 73261.
Posted. To Royal Army Medical Corps. Pte. 99th Field Ambulance. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France. Circa August 1916.
Wounded in action. In the Field. Date not known.
Admitted. To 34th Casualty Clearing Station, shell gas poisoning, dangerously ill. In the Field. 1/11/16.
Died. In 34th Casualty Clearing Station. In the Field. 4/11/16.
Buried in Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte, Somme, France.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, George nominated his mother, Mary E. Harrison and his sister, Susan M. Whittle as his sole legatees and Nellie Adams as a residual legatee.
The War Diary records: 1 Nov-16 – A.2.d. 10.00pm. 99th Field Ambulance went into 1st Reserve at GUILLEMONT and GINCHY today. At 9.00am they were called also during the day to assist the 101st Field Ambulance. 16 bearers had to remain in the line unrelieved as the 101st Field Ambulance only -?- 64 teams.
A considerable number of casualties occurred during the day chiefly from shell gas in a dug-out near the 9th HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY Aid Post. Private’s BARRETT, MAHER and THORNE were killed. Private LEWIS and BANKS died of wounds, Private HODGE was seriously wounded and Private’s HORSEWELL and BEELY were gassed, and Private WILLIAMS slightly gassed.
An attack by the 100th Brigade took place this afternoon at 3.00pm but apparently little or no progress was made.
MILITARY NOTE: George is not mentioned in the 99th Field Ambulance War Diary has having been wounded on the 1st November 1916, however the Medical Register of admissions for the 34th Casualty Clearing Station, shows that on the 1st November 1916, he was admitted together with Private’s Hodge, Beely, Horsewell and Williams, all were recorded as suffering from gas poisoning and dangerously ill.
On Friday November 4th, 1921, The Leicester Daily Mercury published the following article on page 7, under the heading. – BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. – IN MEMORIAM. – WHITTLE. – In loving memory of my dear son, Pte. George Whittle, died of wounds Nov. 4, 1916. Silent sorrow: everlasting sorrow. – His Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, 84, Welford-road.
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