Main CPGW Record
Surname: WHITAKER
Forename(s): John
Place of Birth: Manchester, Lancashire
Service No: 776147
Rank: Trumpeter
Regiment / Corps / Service: Royal Field Artillery
Battalion / Unit: 'D' Battery 245th Brigade
Division: 49th (West Riding) Division
Age: 26
Date of Death: 1918-05-13
Awards: ---
CWGC Grave / Memorial Reference: XIV. D. 5.
CWGC Cemetery: NINE ELMS BRITISH CEMETERY
CWGC Memorial: ---
Non-CWGC Burial: ---
Local War Memorial: ADDINGHAM, YORKSHIRE
Additional Information:
John Whitaker was the son of Jonathan and Emily Whitaker, née Davies. Jonathon was born at Holbeck, Yorkshire and Emily at Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales.
1901 Addingham, Yorkshire Census: Back Beck - John B. Whitaker, aged 7 years, born Addingham, son of Jonathan and Emily Whitaker.
1911 Addingham, Yorkshire Census: 64, Main Street - John Whitaker, aged 17, born Paticroft, Cheshire [Patricroft, Lancashire], son of Jonathon and Emily Whitaker.
British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards: Trumpeter John Whitaker, 671; 776147, R.F.A. Theatre of War first served in: (1) France. Date of entry therein: 16.4.15. D.o.W. 13.5.18.
British Army WW1 Medal and Award Rolls: Tptr John Whitaker, 671; 776147, R.F.A. T[erritorial]. DIED OF WOUNDS 13.5.18.
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects: Tptr John Whitaker, 776147, D/245 Bde. R.F.A. Date and Place of Death: 13.5.18. France. Wounds. To whom Authorised/Amount Authorised: Father - Jonathan. £29 11s. 5d.
John's family left Addingham to live at Kirkheaton near Huddersfield sometime after the 1911 Census had been taken. He is commemorated on Kirkheaton Parish Church War Memorial and in 'Huddersfield's Roll of Honour 1914-1922' by J. Margaret Stansfield (2014).
Data Source: Craven’s Part in the Great War - original CPGW book entry
View Entry in CPGW BookEntry in West Yorkshire Pioneer Illustrated War Record:
WHITAKER, Trumpeter, [Addingham], aged 24, died of wounds May 14, 1918.
---
Click the thumbnail below to view a larger image.
Trumpeter John WHITAKER
Regiment / Corps / Service Badge: Royal Field Artillery
Divisional Sign / Service Insignia: 49th (West Riding) Division
View Additional Image(s)
Additional Photo(s) For Soldier Records
A SATURDAY NIGHT SOLDIER'S WAR 1913-1918, by Norman Tennant (The Kylin Press, 1983)
During nearly six months [July to December 1915] in this position life settled down into a regular routine and was not without its lighter moments. A small switchboard in the telephone dugout enabled calls from Brigade, Divisional and Corps H.Q. to be put through to the officers mess and on one occasion while Trumpeter Whitaker was on duty the General Officer Commanding Royal Artillery wished to speak to Major Petrie. The correct procedure, of course, was to contact our C.O. and then inform the H.Q. operator that he was on the line. Having got the Major the unfortunate ‘Trump’ called up H.Q. saying to whom he thought was the operator “Here’s Major Petrie, put the old b----- on.” Unfortunately the old b– was already on and in due course poor ‘Trump’ was adequately dealt with.
View Craven Herald Articles
View Craven Herald Articles
02 July 1915
ADDINGHAM FAMILY’S PATRIOTIC RECORD
John Whitaker, a trumpeter in the Howitzer Brigade (Ilkley Division) now on active service in France, in a letter to Mr. W. Gale, says:– “We are still having a fairly busy time. The Germans shelled over here and caught the wagon lines, killing about half-a-dozen in the (censored), and two or three in the (censored). Of course, such things happen.
You know Willie Rushworth – he used to go mates with me and George. Well, I heard their lot were near here, so I went to find him, but only to learn that he had been wounded.
In another letter to an Addingham friend, the same writer says:– Jack Oldfield and I are the only two Addingham lads who are with the guns, and we have now got put on the telephone staff, who keep up communication between the observation station and batteries. It is a very risky job, as you will be able to see from our casualty report – two killed and about a dozen wounded, and all of them have come to grief when working on the telephone and repairing wires, which are always getting broken with the shells.”
The wounded soldier, Willie Rushworth, is the son of Mr. Tom Rushworth, late of Addingham, now residing at Wadsworth. He is one of four sons who are serving their country. Their names are Private P. Rushworth, in training at Weedon, Northampton; Private T. Rushworth, R.F.A., in France; Private W. Rushworth, W.R.R., in France; Private F. Rushworth, 3rd Duke of Wellington’s, in training at North Shields.
17 September 1915
NEWS FROM ADDINGHAM SOLDIERS – Addingham Friends Meet
Gunner Willie Brown writes:–“I was pleased to receive your parcel. It is good of the people to remember us. I am going out to tea this afternoon to the 11th Battery. J. Whitaker and J. Oldfield (two Addingham lads) have given me the invitation. They have been to a village near by for something nice, and we are going to have a real bust up. They have a gramaphone, so we shall be all right. I have seen several letters in the papers that you have received from Addingham chaps, and I was sorry to hear about Frank Spencer getting killed. I am wondering how Addingham is going to go on for footballers after the war is over if many more get killed. We have lost two of the best. We were saying last night how nice it would be if we were going to a long night dance at the Low School. We shall have a lot to make up for when we come back. We had some wet weather about a week since. It rained for three days, so you can tell what it would be like. It is not very nice having to sleep in wet things, but we know nothing to those poor chaps in the trenches. There are not ‘white feathers’ here, or I might have sent one for the ‘knuts.’ I don’t know how they can fashion to walk about.”
25 August 1916
ADDINGHAM – NEWS OF SOLDIERS
Mr. Flint has received the following letters in acknowledgement of parcels:–
Trumpeter J. Whitaker writes:– “Many thanks for parcel. The weather is simply lovely, and we have been making good use of the river near by. Our village seems to have been rather unlucky again but, of course, we don’t feel it here like those at home, but I suppose we shall miss them when we get back again. I suppose you will know I have lost my pal, Trumpeter J. Oldfield. He went to ‘ Blighty’ with a wound in his neck.”
31 May 1918
Trumpeter J. Whitaker, Addingham
We regret to record the death of Trumpeter Johnny Whitaker, who died of wounds received on May 12th. In a letter from one of his chums to Mr. and Mrs. Oldfield, Wharfedale View, Addingham he says:– “No doubt you received my last letter about Johnny, and it was with good hopes of his recovery that I wrote, so you can understand how great is my sorrow to have to tell you he died on the 11th. An eye-witness tells me he was quite cheery and happy up to the last ten minutes and death came very suddenly and with little pain. When I heard the news I was terribly upset, as he was one of my best chums and I could not realise it was true until some time afterwards.” Trumpeter Whitaker was 24 years of age and was in the Wharfedale Howitzer Territorials when the war broke out and went to the Front with them early in 1916. Previous to being called up he was employed by Lister and Co., Burnside Mill.
View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles
View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles
02 July 1915
RISKY WORK FOR ADDINGHAM LADS
In letters to friends in Addingham, J. Whitaker, who went out to France with the Territorials, says that they are finding the heat somewhat trying. Jack Oldfield and himself are the only two Addingham lads with the guns, and they have been put on the telephone staff, which keeps up communication between the observation station and batteries, which is very risky work. They have already had two killed and a dozen wounded, all coming to grief working on the telephone, and repairing wires which are always getting broken by the shells. He has learnt that Willie Rushworth, another Addingham lad has been shot through the eyes, and one of them blown clean out.
17 September 1915
AFTERNOON TEA WITH ADDINGHAM MEN
Gunner Willie Brown writes:– “I was pleased to receive your parcel; it is good of the people to remember us. I am going out to tea this afternoon to the 11th Battery. J. Whitaker and J. Oldfield (two Addingham lads) have given me the invitation. They have been to a village near by for something nice, and we are going to have a real ‘bust up’. They have a gramophone, so we shall be all right. I have seen several letters in the papers that you have received from Addingham chaps, and I was sorry to hear about Frank Spencer getting killed. I am wondering how Addingham is going to go on for footballers after the war is over if many more get killed. We have lost two of the best. We were saying last night how nice it would be if we were going to a late night dance in the Low School. We shall have a lot to make up for when we come back… There are no white feathers here or I might have sent one for the ----- I don’t know how they can fashion to walk about."
25 August 1916
ADDINGHAM SOLDIERS’ LETTERS
Mr. Flint has received the following letters in acknowledgement of parcels:–
Trumpeter J. Whitaker writes:– “Many thanks for parcel. The weather is simply lovely, and we have been making good use of the river near by. Our village seems to have been rather unlucky again, but, of course, we don’t feel it here like those at home. I suppose we shall miss them when we get back again. I suppose you will know I have lost my pal, Trumpeter J. Oldfield. He went to ‘ Blighty’ with a wound in his neck.”
31 May 1918
WHITAKER – Died of wounds May 14th, Trumpeter Johnny Whitaker, of Addingham, aged 24.
31 May 1918
CRAVEN AND THE WAR
Addingham Soldier Dies of Wounds
We regret to record the death of Trumpeter Johnny Whitaker who died of wounds received on May 12th. In a letter from one of his chums to Mr. and Mrs. Oldfield, Wharfedale View, Addingham, he says:– “No doubt you received my last letter about Johnny, and it was with good hopes of his recovery that I wrote, so you can understand how great is my sorrow to have to tell you he died on the 14th. An eye witness tells me be was quite cheery and happy up to the last ten minutes, and death came very suddenly and with little pain. When I heard the news I was terribly upset, as he was one of my best chums, and I could not realize it was true until some time afterwards.” Trumpeter Whitaker was 24 years of age, and was in the Wharfedale Howitzer Territorials when the war broke out, and went to the front with them early in 1915. Previous to being called up he was employed at Lister and Co.’s, Burnside Mill.
Comment on this Soldier Record
You can leave comments on this soldier record. Please note all comments will be manually approved before they appear on the website.
No comments yet.