Pte
Richard Dove Whittaker
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1886 |
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Place of birth: Skipton, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Cotton Mill Worker |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 267013 |
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Enlistment place: Skipton, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment), 1/6th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 28/02/1918 |
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Place of death: Judge Subsector, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Died of wounds (D.O.W.) |
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Age: 32 |
Cemetery
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Polygon Wood Cemetery Plot: Unknown Row: G Grave: 3 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Private Richard Dove Whittaker was born in Skipton, North Yorkshire in 1886. He was the son of Edward and Ann Whittaker and he had two brothers and one sister. Before he enlisted in the army he was working as a warpdresser at Firth & Moorhouse textile mill. When he enlisted in 1916, he joined the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment 1/6th Battalion, part of the 147th Brigade of the 49th Division.
On 22 February 1918 the 1/6th Bn. Duke of Wellington’s relieved the 2nd Canterbury Battalion of the New Zealand Army in the Centre Judge Sector near the hamlet of Reutel. At 3 a.m. on 28 February the British artillery fired a barrage on the enemy lines which prompted a retaliation during which three men were killed, Private Whittaker being one of them. He was buried at Polygon Wood Cemetery where he is still remembered.
Private Richard Dove Whittaker was one of three brothers who served in the First World War. His brother, private James Whittaker also served in the 1/6th DWR and was killed in action on 3 mey 1918 near Millekruisse, Belgium. His other brother, Edgar Whittaker, served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery and was the only one of the three brothers who survived the war.
On 22 February 1918 the 1/6th Bn. Duke of Wellington’s relieved the 2nd Canterbury Battalion of the New Zealand Army in the Centre Judge Sector near the hamlet of Reutel. At 3 a.m. on 28 February the British artillery fired a barrage on the enemy lines which prompted a retaliation during which three men were killed, Private Whittaker being one of them. He was buried at Polygon Wood Cemetery where he is still remembered.
Private Richard Dove Whittaker was one of three brothers who served in the First World War. His brother, private James Whittaker also served in the 1/6th DWR and was killed in action on 3 mey 1918 near Millekruisse, Belgium. His other brother, Edgar Whittaker, served as a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery and was the only one of the three brothers who survived the war.
Connection to other soldiers 1
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James Willie Whittaker
Brother |
Sources 6
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Sources used |
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Barber, S., "Guiseley Terriers: A Small Part in the Great War, A History of the 1/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment", Barnsley, Pen & Sword Military, 2018, 160-162. Sources used |
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CPGW http://www.cpgw.org.uk/soldier-records/richard-dove-whittaker/ Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/480082/whittaker,-richard-dove/ Sources used |
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The Long Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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War Diary http://www.nmarchive.com/ Sources used |