3190: 3 Thackley brothers - the Whitfields part 2
Hubert Whitfield was born on 16th November 1888. In the 1911 census he was living with his parents Edward and Mary at 2 North St, Thackley and worked for his father as a ‘General Mason’. He enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1915 – the newspaper account of Bateson’s death says he ‘went out’ to the front in May 1915, a statement which is contradicted by the Medal Index Card. The enlistment date of 10th May is given by the Bradford Roll of Honour. His M.I.C. gives the date he entered a Theatre of War as 6th November 1915, when he landed in Egypt. There is no other record of his military service until 19th July 1919 (Medal & Award Roll) when he was transferred to ‘Class Z’ (Army Reserve) and demobilized into civilian life.
Neither Edward nor Hubert is recorded post-1918 in the Electoral Register, although Edward had been registered to vote from the 1890s up to 1915. Hubert continued to live with his parents at 24 North Street as the 1939 Register records:
Edward Whitfield, b. 25th October 1861, General Builder
Hubert Whitfield, b. 16th November 1888 General Builder
Martha E[liza] Whitfield, b. 9th June 1891 House Keeper
(one entry is redacted)
In 1947 Hubert married Alice Butters. When he died on 30th January 1967 in Bradford Royal Infirmary, the administration of his estate was granted to his brothers and partners (retired) in the family firm, Charles Ernest and William Edward Whitfield.
No documents relating to his life are in the extensive collection of documents, photos and objects left by his brother Bill (William Edward) but there are photos of soldiers of the Royal Engineers, some of whom must be of Hubert. The two shown here appear to be of the same man. They are both of a soldier of the Royal Engineers – on the left the man’s cap badge and shoulder title, on the right the boy is wearing the R.E. badge on his lapel. I initially thought this would be Hubert’s family group, but for reasons above I suggest the boy and woman are a brother (Charles or George) and sister (Martha, Mary, Evelyn) of Hubert.
