Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Harold William Whitten was born in about 1882, location unknown the son of Mrs Elizabeth Jane McKie Whitten.
Harold was a military man, part of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers of the regular army, which at the outbreak of War was in Gibraltar. Returning to England during September 1914 it was assembled at the New Forest, Hampshire and joined by other regular army units from around the British Empire to form the 7th Division.
The 2nd Battalion R.S.F. came under the orders of the 21st Brigade and landed with the Division at Zeebrugge in Belgium on October 6th 1914. Private 6140 Harold William Whitten entered the theatre of war October 10th 1914. The Division had been ordered to assist in the defence of Antwerp, however, by the time they arrived the city was already falling to the Germans and they were instead ordered to hold important bridges and assist in the evacuation of the Belgium Army. Once the Belgians were through the Division was moved to the front at Ypres, the first British troops to occupy the area.
During the First Battle of Ypres the Division brought the advancing German Army to a standstill despite sustaining heavy losses and it was not until January-February 1915 that it was back to full strength in preparation for the first British offensive on a large scale at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle 10-13 March 1915.
Private 6140 Harold William Whitten was killed in action March 10th 1915 during the battle but has no known grave. His sacrifice is recorded as one of 13,389 names of British and Commonwealth soldiers killed on the Western Front from October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 on Le Touret Memorial, Richelbourg-L’Avoue’, Pas de Calais, France.
Private Whitten was 33 years old and single. He named as his beneficiaries his uncle William and a Miss Mary Watson who shared all monies due to him. He was awarded the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest in Peace.
Harold William Whitten is remembered at Heworth on H92.03
