Whyte, James Gordon (Gordon)
Lance Corporal
No. 9265, 15th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles
Killed in action on Friday 23 November 1917 (aged 20)
No known grave
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Thiepval Memorial, France (Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B)
Ballywalter and District War Memorial
Ballywalter Presbyterian Church
Family grave headstone in Whitechurch Cemetery Ballywalter
BIOGRAPHY
In some records his surname is spelt White.
James Gordon Whyte was born on 24 July 1897 in Ballywalter and he was a son of James and Mary Whyte (nee Mooney) who were married on 25 May 1894 in Ballycopeland Presbyterian Church. James White from Ballywalter was a son of James White, a labourer. Mary Mooney from Banbridge was a daughter of Henry Mooney, a labourer.
The Whyte family lived in Ballywalter.
James Whyte worked as an agricultural labourer and car driver and Mary worked at home as an embroiderer. James and Mary Whyte had five children:
Joseph (Joe, born around 1891/1892; died 15 April 1938 aged 47)
Robert Lyttle (born 7 January 1895 in Ballywalter)
James Gordon (born 24 July 1897 in Ballywalter)
John (born 15 July 1901 in Ballywalter)
Hugh Alexander (born 12 October 1903 in Ballywalter)
All but Joseph were baptised in Ballywalter Presbyterian Church.
Gordon was nine when his father James died of tuberculosis on 11 March 1907 (aged 36). James Whyte was buried in Whitechurch Cemetery, Ballywalter.
In both the 1901 and 1911 Census the family surname is spelt White.
Prior to the outbreak of the Great War Gordon Whyte was a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force and initially he joined the Cyclist Corps of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Subsequently he was transferred to the 15th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in 107th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.
Lance Corporal Gordon Whyte was 20 when he was killed in action on 23 November 1917 in the Battle of Cambrai and he has no known grave.
Lance Corporal Gordon Whyte is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial in France; on Ballywalter and District War Memorial and in Ballywalter Presbyterian Church. He is also commemorated on the family grave headstone in Whitechurch Cemetery Ballywalter.
Gordon’s mother Mary died on 9 July 1930 (aged 69).