Edward Robert Whale

A Private with 2nd Battalion, Edward died on 24th of February 1917 at the age of 24. 

Edward was born at Lowestoft on 5 January 1898, a son of George and Mary Ann Whale. Edward attended Saint Andrews School and, from 17 September 1900, was a pupil at Saint Margaret’s School. His family lived at 85 Oxford Road, Lowestoft. Later they lived at 22 Kimberley Road, Lowestoft. By 1911 his family were living at 19 South Elmham Terrace, Victoria Road, Oulton Broad. Later his parents lived at 18 Wellington Road, Pakefield, Lowestoft.  

Edward enlisted in the Norfolk Regiment at Great Yarmouth in late 1910/early 1911. It seems that when the 1911 Census was enumerated he was on home leave with his family. Edward was posted to the 2nd Battalion in India. Edward was in India, with the 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment, when the First World War began. The Battalion went straight to Mesopotamia and Edward arrived there, with the rest of the Battalion, on 15 November 1914. 

Edward would have been present at the Battle of Shaiba in April 1915. 

On 21 November 1915 the 2nd Battalion were in a night march moving into position ready for an attack at Ctesiphon at dawn on 22 November 1915. The Battalion suffered 267 casualties during the Battle of Ctesiphon, around half their fighting strength.  

On 29 November 1915 the British, including the 2nd Norfolks, were ordered to retreat to Kut-al-Amarah. The forced march lasted 46 hours and they managed to reach Kut on 3 December 1915. From 7 December the British and Indian Army garrison was besieged by the Turkish Army. 

The siege lasted 147 days and the garrison suffered terribly during that time. On 29 April 1916 the garrison surrendered. The garrison was marched into captivity at Aleppo. 

Less than 90 of the Norfolk Regiment men survived the siege at Kut.

Official records give a confusing account of what happened to Edward. Soldiers Died in the Great War states that he was killed in action on 24 February 1917, while some Pension Record Cards show that he was killed in action on 10 March 1917. The Army Register of Soldiers’ Effects states 24 February 1917 Mesopotamia and does not show a cause of death.

Given that Edward was serving with the 2nd Battalion in Mesopotamia from 15 November 1914, and in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, it seems most likely that Edward was taken prisoner at Kut and died in captivity on 24 February 1917. 

One of Edward’s legatees was Florence Wright. 

Edward’s brother Reginald served with the Rifle Brigade and died in 1918.