| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Born in Beverley in 1894 Harry Whitaker was the son of William Whitaker, a printer and Fanny Taylor Best. Harry lived with his paternal grandparents, Leonard and Emma Whitaker in Beverley while the rest of the Whitaker family lived as boarders with the Johnson family. In 1911 Harry and his grandfather's household were living at 20 Railway Street, his father and siblings were living at 7, Eastbourne Villas, Grovehill Road. Harry attended the Beverley Wesleyan School from 1900 to 1904 when he transferred to another, unknown, school because of "pressing for regularity". After leaving school he worked as a tanners' labourer. Fanny Whitaker was not recorded as living with her family on either the 1901 or 1911 census returns.
Harry joined the Army during the First World War initially serving with the 5th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. He was later transferred to the Labour Corps. Private Whitaker was wounded in mid-1918 and died from his wounds in hospital in Rouen on 12 Jul 1918, he is buried in the St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen. His brother Fred served in the Army Service Corps.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |