WHITNEY, Thomas Geffrey

Credit: Gary Newman

Second Lieutenant

3rd Battalion

Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Thomas was born 1898 in Nebea, New South Wales in Australia to Edward & Helen Amy WHITNEY who were living in Broad Oak, Groombridge, Sussex around the time of Thomas' death.

Thomas died on the 15th of June 1916, aged 18 at the Parkhurst Military Hospital following a road traffic collision. Thomas was based in Brighstone, & the motorcycle he was riding collided with Bartletta's motor char-a-banc on a particularly dangerous corner in Chale. He was taken to the Military Hospital but died sometime later. His mother, father, brother & paternal uncle attended the funeral.

Thomas was buried in the Parkhurst Military cemetery & rests beneath a Private Memorial alongside 88 of his First & Second World War comrades.

CWGC Casualty Record

Cemetary

Parkhurst Military Cemetery

Location

Construction of the barracks, which were originally named Parkhurst Barracks after the forest where they were located, was completed in September 1798. Shortly after completion they were renamed "Albany Barracks" after Prince Frederick, Duke of York & Albany, who had been Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. By 1807 they were occupied by the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot preparing for action in the Peninsular War. In 1859 the Isle of Wight Rifles was raised as a defence force for the Island & stationed at the barracks.

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The Parkhurst Military Cemetery, on Forest Road, was established in the 1840's, replacing an older cemetery which has since been developed.

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The cemetery serviced the families & servicemen of the Parkhurst Barracks (later Albany Barracks) & Military Hospital.
The cemetery includes a 'Cross of Sacrifice', designed by Sir Reginald BLOMFIELD, as it has over 40 War Graves.

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During WW2 a number of Germany servicemen (50) (mainly crashed aircrew) were buried in the cemetery; their bodies were exhumed & re-interred at the Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery in the early 1960s. This included the body of Major General Dr Hans Volkmar FISSER of the German Air Force who was shot down over the Island on 12 August 1940 in a Junkers 88. He was a doctor of Political Science. He is buried with Sgt Jakob BIRNDORFER an ME109 pilot also relocated from Parkhurst.

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After the closure of the barracks in the early 1960's, the cemetery remains part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Estate managed by the Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre (JCC) at Ijim Barracks, Gloucester although the CWGC monitors the War Graves, the MOD is responsible for its general upkeep

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