BORN HULL 04/01/1889. SON OF STAFFORD BEESTON WHITBY (MBE) & HETTIE WHITBY, OF NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL, OTTAWA, CANADA, AND 8 VICTORIA AVENUE, HULL. HARRY ALDEN WHITBY WAS EDUCATED AT HULL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, HE HAD A BRILLIANT SCHOLASTIC CAREER. HE ATTENDED PARIS UNIVERSITY, AND SPENT TWO AND HALF YEARS STUDYING IN GERMANY. HE WAS AN ASSISTANT SCHOOL MASTER OF CREWKERNE, GRAMMAR SCHOLL, SOMERSET IN 1911. AND TAUGHT HISTORY AT BRUNEL LONDON UNIVERSITY. (HULL DAILY MAIL, 22/07/1916). HE WAS ENGAGED TO MARRY MISS MARY BAXTER OF PETERHEAD, BUT THE WEDDING WAS POSTPONED WHEN WAR WAS DECLARED. HIS FATHER, STAFFORD BEESTON WHITBY (MBE), WHO RAN THE “HULL SOLDIER’S CLUB” AT BEVERLEY ROAD BATHS.
HARRY WAS ACTING CAPTAIN, OF THE 11TH WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT, WHEN KILLED AT CONSTALMISON, ON 10/07/1916, AGED 27. SHOT IN THE HEAD BY A SNIPER. HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HDM, 10/07/1917, WITH HIS PHOTOGRAPH. * HIS UNIVERSITY RECORDS STATE THAT HE WAS AWARDED THE MILITARY MEDAL (MM) AND MENTIONED IN DISPATCHES (MID), ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT SHOWN IN CWGC RECORDS?
HE IS BURIED AT POZIERES BRITISH CEMETERY, OVILLERS-LA BOISSELLE, SOMME, FRANCE. HIS GRAVE INSCRIPTION READS, “HIS NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE”
HIS PROBATE ADDRESS WAS 23 PRINCES AVENUE, HULL. HE WAS UNMARRIED AND LEFT £392 IN HIS WILL TO HIS FATHER.
HIS NAME IS RECORDED ON THE HULL GRAMMAR WW1 MEMORIAL, LONDON UNIVERSITY MEMORIAL & HULL’S CLIFTON STREET SCHOOL MEMORIAL.
Brunel University Bibliography – Captain Harry Alden Whitby attended Borough Road College for three years, representing the college in tennis, and acting as the tennis secretary 1908-09. Whitby was also the editor of the BA’s Hum 1908-09. After graduating Borough Road College he gained a double 1st BA at Cambridge and went on to be an HM Inspector of Schools, later being appointed Secretary of Academic Department at London University. Whitby joined up in September 1915 into the 11th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment. He was killed in action on 10 July 1916 whilst leading his men in a successful attack on the village of Contalmaison. He was awarded the Military Medal.
