WHITTLE Frank

Service only.

Frank Whittle was born in 1889. In 1901 Frank aged 12 was resident with his widowed mother Honor and 2 siblings at Ashton Under Hill.

From the Evesham Journal and Four Shires Advertiser, Saturday 18th September, 1915:
Writing to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Hunting of Ashton-under-Hill, Pte. Charles Hunting says:-“Last night we heard the Germans working on their barbed wire, so we gave them three rounds rapid, then wait a few minutes and give them five rounds rapid. I expect they thought we had got hundreds of troops in our front lines. One of our boys fired at a sniper the other morning, and every time they shot he signalled back to them that it was a miss. I expect you would like to hear a little of how they are going on out here. Well, they have been shelling us a little today. I am putting a piece in which fell near me; you can send it on to Tom, as he says he should like to see a piece. I can understand Ben Cotton thinking of the time we used to have at Sunday School. Please tell Mrs. Moore I was very sorry I could not inform her of Percy getting wounded. I was too much upset. He did ask me to write home and tell his mother, but I could not seem as if I could write to her about her son being wounded so badly. Percy was such a good chum. If ever he had a parcel from home, or I had one, we used to share them together. I am so pleased to hear Percy has recovered sufficiently to be sent to England. I had a letter from Pte. Frank Whittle the other day; he is quite well, but I am sorry to tell you that he has moved a long way from me now. I hope we shall all meet again some day if not on this earth in the heavenly land, which God is preparing for us”.

A photograph of Lance Corporal F. Whittle of Ashton can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 6th July 1918, available at Worcestershire Archives.