David Whyte

Military Information

  • Date of enlistment:
  • Place of enlistment: Bathgate
  • Service no: 3/3989
  • Rank: Private
  • Service Occupation:
  • Awards:
  • Regiment/Service: Black Watch
  • Unit/Ship: 1st Battalion
  • Place of Death: France
  • Age at Death:
  • Date of Death: 09.05.1915
  • Burial Country: France
  • Cemetery: Le Touret Memorial
  • Grave/Mem Ref no: Panel 24 to 26

Personal Information

  • Date of Birth:
  • Place of Birth: Kirriemuir
  • Address: 208 Seagate, Dundee
  • Occupation:
  • Mother:

    Margaret Whyte Smith, 208 Seagate, Dundee

  • Father:

    Thomas Whyte

  • Siblings:

    Alexander, Thomas & Samuel

  • Spouse:
  • Children:

More about David Whyte

David has no known grave but is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial. He was the brother of L/Cpl Thomas Whyte, 19895, 10/11th Battalion Highland Light Infantry, who was killed in action, 14.08.1917 and Pte Samuel Whyte, 617648, Labour Corps and Pte Alexander Whyte, 62061, Labour Corps, who both also served and returned home safely.

Private David Whyte, 1st Black Watch, who was killed in action on 9th May, was a native of Forfar.  Private Whyte was a younger brother of Sam Whyte, the well-known Dundee Hibs and Forfar footballer, who was severely wounded in the retreat from Mons, and has since received his discharge.

Montrose Standard 11th June 1915

SOLDIER BROTHERS.

TWO KILLED AND A THIRD DISABLED.

When war broke out the family of Mrs Whyte, Bervie Street, Dundee, was well represented in our fighting forces, three of her four sons proceeding to France with the Expeditionary Force.  To-day, however, the family has no representative in the firing line, two of the sons having fallen on the field of honour, and the third having been discharged from the army as the result of severe wounds sustained in the early days of the fighting.

Information of the deaths of the two sons came last week, the intervening time between the notifications being tragically brief.  The report of the death in action of Private David Whyte, of the 1st Black Watch, came on Thursday night, while on Friday the family was further stricken by the news that Lance-Corporal Thomas Whyte, of the 2d Highland Light Infantry, had also fallen.  The third son is ex-Private Samuel Whyte, 1st Black Watch, a well-known Dundee footballer, whose boast it is that he played for every senior Club in Forfarshire with the exception of Arbroath.  He was given a trial for Dundee F.C. in 1907, and his last Club was Dundee Hibs.

Both David and Thomas were also keen footballers, and both played for their regimental elevens, the three brothers having between them some 40 trophies, testifying to their prowess at the winter game.  Samuel was a reservist when war broke out, but the other two were serving with the colours.

Dundee People’s Journal 12th June 1915

Additional information and images kindly supplied by Michael Caldwell

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