Private Ronald Whiteley
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Private 5770064 Ronald Cuthbert Whiteley
Died 27th May, 1940
Aged 30
Died 27th May, 1940
Aged 30
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We are indebted to Private Whiteley's son Lance for sending us the images below and giving us permission to reproduce them. They show his father's birth and marriage certificates along with a road sign showing that Swanland in the East Riding of Yorkshire is twinned with LeStrem and a piece from a Swanland newsletter about a trip to France. Although there is no direct connection between the Whiteleys and Swanland, Lance lives close by in North Lincolnshire.
Lance was also able to tell us that his father was a "boy soldier" who had served in India before leaving the Forces but later being called up to fight in the Second World War.
There is another intriguing aspect to the Whiteley family story.
Through the powers of social media Lance was contacted by a cousin he knew nothing about as he explained to us:
"I joined a group entitled 'Hull The Good Old Days.' The members post photographs of people, buildings and events from up to 100 years ago. On impulse I posted a photograph of myself (the one on this page under "family photographs"- editor). A message appeared under the photograph asking if my name was Lance and whether my father's name was Ronald who was killed at Dunkirk. The person leaving the message turned out to be my cousin Susan and she and her dad, Noel Whiteley my dad's brother, had been searching for me for decades.
"Noel passed away in the 1980s. They had been searching for Lance Whiteley who, in documentation, does not exist as my name is Arthur Lancelot Whiteley but I am always known as Lance. I subsequently had a meeting with cousin Susan who brought photographs and birth and marriage certificates with her. There was a photograph of my father who I had never seen. I had a tear in my eye."
Editor's note - Lance was just one year old when his father was killed.
Lance was also able to tell us that his father was a "boy soldier" who had served in India before leaving the Forces but later being called up to fight in the Second World War.
There is another intriguing aspect to the Whiteley family story.
Through the powers of social media Lance was contacted by a cousin he knew nothing about as he explained to us:
"I joined a group entitled 'Hull The Good Old Days.' The members post photographs of people, buildings and events from up to 100 years ago. On impulse I posted a photograph of myself (the one on this page under "family photographs"- editor). A message appeared under the photograph asking if my name was Lance and whether my father's name was Ronald who was killed at Dunkirk. The person leaving the message turned out to be my cousin Susan and she and her dad, Noel Whiteley my dad's brother, had been searching for me for decades.
"Noel passed away in the 1980s. They had been searching for Lance Whiteley who, in documentation, does not exist as my name is Arthur Lancelot Whiteley but I am always known as Lance. I subsequently had a meeting with cousin Susan who brought photographs and birth and marriage certificates with her. There was a photograph of my father who I had never seen. I had a tear in my eye."
Editor's note - Lance was just one year old when his father was killed.
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Family Photographs
Above left is a photograph of Arthur Lancelot Whiteley, known as Lance. Lance is Ronald Whiteley's son and the picture was taken during his (Lance's) national service days which he has captioned "From Hull to Aldershot to the Middle East."
Above right is a picture of Ronald with his sister Monica. We are indebted to Lance's cousin Susan Tether for sending us the photograph of Ronald and Monica with permission to reproduce here. |
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