Capt Thomas Whiting

• Age: 40
• From: Catwick, Yorkshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Thomas Whiting was born in 1876 at Catwick, Yorkshire, the son of Thomas Whiting and his wife Frances (nee Hornby) who were married on the 17th November 1870 at Skirlaugh, nr Hull. Thomas was aged 23 of Leven, father Wilson Whiting, whilst Frances was aged 21 of Lowton, father John. He was baptised on 16th January 1876 at Catwick, which is about 10 miles north of Hull. Thomas was the third of eight children:  his siblings were Edith Mary, William Hornby (who died at age 11), John Hornby, Frances Elizabeth, Eleanor, Phyllis, and Charles Herbert. 

In 1891 the farm is listed as the Manor House, Catwick. His father, 44, is a farmer born Leven, his mother is 42 born Riston. Thomas is 15, John 14, Frances 10, Phyllis 9, Charles 7 and Clemm 5, with all six children are at school. Also in the household are a school teacher, three farm servants, two domestic servants, and a groom.

His parents are in Catwick, farming 255 acres, with three children at home, a governess, and eight farm and domestic workers.

Thomas attended Mr. Ridge’s School in Hornsea. In July 1892 the Yorkshire Herald published the award of a scholarship of £60 per annum for two years to Thomas Whiting of Catwick Manor, to the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.

In early 1894 the farm of Thomas Whiting of Catwick was sold and the livestock, equipment, and household furniture were put up for auction.

By 1901 Thomas, 25, is an assistant schoolmaster at the prestigious King Edward VI Grammar School in Saffron Walden, Essex.  The school, founded in 1522, was modelled on Eton College and Winchester. His mother, with John and Charles, is in Hornsea.

His sister Frances died in 1903 at the age of 22.

The 1911 Census shows Thomas living at 51 Cranborne Road, Wavertree, Liverpool. He is living with John Charles Wreford aged 48, born 1863 a drapers assistant who was born in Cornwall, Nellie Ellis aged 34, born 1877 a housekeeper who was born in Devonshire. Thomas is aged 35, born 1876 a teaching assistant. The N.U.T. records do not have him listed in their casualties however, he was a Master at Liverpool’s Institute School, and he was Second in Command of the Schools Officer Training Corps.

He was commissioned Second Lieutenant with the Liverpool Institute Contingent, Junior Division, on 18th September 1909 (Unattached List for the Territorial Force).  A few months later, in January 1910, he was gazetted Lieutenant, and was promoted Captain on 27th November 1914.

His brother John died in 1911, leaving £595-8s-6d to Thomas Whiting, tutor.

He joined the 20th Battalion whilst it was in training in England, and crossed to France with it in November 1915, holding the rank of Captain.

Presumably, his service matched that of the Battalion, in France,, as he is first mentioned in the 20th Battalion War Diary on 01st July 1916,whilst in charge of the third wave of the advance, during the attack on the German position known as Dublin Trench, South of Montauban, on what was the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He obviously hurt himself in this attack, because in a letter home, a member of his Company 26549 Lane Corporal Joseph Quinan wrote of him, "When we popped the parapet’, he injured the muscle of his leg very badly, and was lame the whole time. Nevertheless he stuck it gamely right throughout, and amazed everybody by coming in with us again after we had only had a two day’s rest. “

Lance Corporal Quinan wrote of him after  01st July 1916,

“Captain Whiting is probably the most popular Captain in the Pals’. He has just the right amount of discipline, as well as that human touch that, in my opinion, is even more important. He takes his risks with the best of them, and I have seen him walking about amongst the barbed wire very carelessly sometimes, when we have been digging on top. “

L/Cpl Quinan and Capt. Whiting were both killed in action a month later, on the 30th July 1916, during the Battle of Guillemont.

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing at Thiepval, on the Somme.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 08th August 1916 by the Liverpool Institute:  

“Captain Whiting of the “Pals”, whose death is now announced in our “Roll of Honour” column, was known throughout the school as “Tommy”.

Probate, giving Thomas’ address as 306 Upper Parliament Street, and the Liverpool Institute Mount Street, was granted to his sister Phyllis in the amount of £520-5s-5d.

His mother Frances, aged 72 and still married, appears on the 1921 Census visiting the Simpson  family in Lamberhurst, Tonbridge, Kent.

In 1939 she is widowed, living with her unmarried daughter Phyllis at Broad Oak, Tonbridge Road. She died, aged 92, in 1941. 

Thomas is commemorated on the following memorials -

University of Wales, Aberystwyth

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 35

Liverpool Institute (now housed at L.I.P.A.)

Church - brass plaque

IN LOVING MEMORY OF 

THOMAS WHITING 

CAPTAIN, KING’S LIVERPOOL REGIMENT.

KILLED WHILE LEADING HIS COMPANY 

INTO ACTION AT THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME, 

30TH JULY, 1916, AGED 40.

“WHO DIES IF ENGLAND LIVE”

He is also remembered on a private plaque located on the South wall of St Margaret’s Church, Long Riston, East Riding, Yorkshire.

We currently have no further information on Thomas Whiting, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.