John William Arthur Whittaker
Memorial: South Gloucestershire war dead not on a local memorial
Regiment: Labour Corps
Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 1914 - 1921, Victory Medal
Rank and number: Private 18303 then 482420
Parents: Sarah Anne and James Whittaker
Home address: Home Address: Withington, Manchester. Lived: West End Farm, Marshfield
Date of birth: 1890
Date of death: 09/11/1918
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Marshfield (St. Mary) Churchyard, Gloucestershire
Age: 28
Further information:
John was one of four siblings, all born in Warrington, Lancashire. Their father James died in 1898, followed by their mother Ann in 1900. Their grandmother was sent to the local workhouse, two of the children went to live with relatives, and John and his brother Owen were sent to the local Blue Coat School for orphans. After having been discharged in 1904, John emigrated to Canada. He and many others from poor backgrounds were known as 'Home Children', sent to Commonwealth countries to make a better life for themselves. John worked on a farm on Ontario, before returning to Britain after the outbreak of war. Although his army service records were destroyed, we know that he initially joined the Manchester Regiment, then transferred to the Labour Corps, in which he served on the home front as a farm labourer, a member of the 440 Agricultural Company (Bristol). He died from pneumonia and influenza in 1918, two days before the end of the War.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site and David Whittaker, great nephew.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/