Captain William Taylor WHITE MC
3rd (Reserve) Battalion Yorkshire Regiment attached to B Company, 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment

Date of birth: 9th February 1880
Date of death: 3rd April 1937

Died aged 57
Unknown
William Taylor White was born at “Leahurst”, Tickhill in Yorkshire on the 9th of February 1880 the second son of Sir William Knight Hamilton Ramsay White and Lady Edith Laura (nee Paris) White of “Leahurst”, Tickhill, Rotherham in Yorkshire.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until December 1893 when he went on to Haileybury School where he was in Melvill House from January 1894 to December 1898. He was a member of the Rugby XV and of the Cricket XI, being Captain of Cricket in 1898, and served as a Sergeant in the Officer training Corps. On leaving school he was educated by Mr. Henry M.S. Malden MA, a private tutor specializing in preparation for the army, of "Henley", Frant, Tunbridge Wells in Kent from January 1899 until June 1900.

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Militia) on the 22nd of January 1901 and served in the South African War from 1901 to 1902, being awarded the Queen’s Medal with four clasps. He decided to leave the army and seek work abroad. His former tutor, Mr. Malden, wrote a letter of recommendation on his behalf dated the 18th of March 1903: -

"Mr. W.T. White was my pupil from Jan 1899 to June 1900. he was backward in book knowledge when he came, partly owing to the time he had, had to devote to games at Haileybury as Captain. He showed no special literary taste, but was good at mathematical problems and always hardworking and industrious. His strength lay in his determination to think for himself and to use his common sense of which he had more than his fair share, and so he developed on thoroughly sound lines but while sure, was a little too slow for success in exams. I quite expected him to pass for the India Police, the standard for which is rather higher than for the army entrance exams but the shock of his father's very sudden death only a very few days before the exam prevented him from doing himself justice. Mr. White has a good head on his shoulders and uses it, so that even in trivial matters, he has always a sound reason for his actions. He is not easily moved when his mind is made up, but not hasty in judgement. In character he is strong, upright and self controlled, a man who commands respect and who can be relied on. A good friend and a most pleasant companion."

He resigned his commission on the 8th of August 1903 and went to work for the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Ltd. in Rangoon as a teak farmer.

Following the outbreak of war he returned to England where he underwent a medical examination for the army on the 3rd of November 1914 at which he was declared as fit for general service. He applied for the commission in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion Yorkshire Regiment on the 9th of January 1915. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the battalion on the 16th of January 1915 and embarked for France on the 14th of May 1915 where he was attached to the 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. He joined the battalion at Winnezeelle in Belgium on the 20th of May 1915 along with five other officers and was posted to B Company. He was promoted to temporary Captain on the 19th of August 1915 and saw action at the Battle of Loos in September 1915 when two thirds of his Company became casualties.

On the 25th of October 1915 half the battalion embarked at Marseilles on board the SS "Malda", and half embarked on board the SS "Alnwick Castle for service in Salonica. He returned to England on leave, embarking at Salonica on the 14th of July 1916 and routing via Alexandria on the 19th of July and Marseilles on the 29th of July. He embarked for his return from leave at Marseilles on the 25th of August 1916 and landed at Salonica on the 30th of August, rejoining his battalion in the field on the 2nd September 1916. He was awarded the Military Cross on the 14th of November 1916, which was announced in the London Gazette of the 19th of December 1916. The citation read:-

“For conspicuous gallantry. He led his company with great courage and initiative, putting his enemy to flight and capturing prisoners.”

On the 7th of December 1917 he was admitted to 84 Field Ambulance suffering from "debility", and was admitted to hospital the following day. He rejoined his battalion in the field on the 1st of January 1918. He went on leave to England on the 4th of August 1918 and returned to his unit on the 14th of October. On the 8th of November 1918 he embarked at Salonica for the Dardanelles where he was placed in charge of a camp from the 8th of February 1919. He embarked at Salonica bound for England and demobilisation on the 6th of March 1919 and was promoted to Acting Captain on the 8th of March 1919. He was demobilised at No. 1 Dispersal Unit at Ripon on the 24th of March 1919 and resigned his commission on the 1st of April 1920, leaving the army with the rank of Captain.

After the war he returned to Rangoon to work for his old company. He later came back to England on board the SS Rawalpindi, landing at Plymouth on the 10th of May 1935. On his return he lived at Bessingby Hall, Bridlington.

He died at Daneslea Nursing Home at Home Street, St Anne's Road, Bridlington and his funeral was held at Bessingby Church at noon on the 6th of April 1937.


Went on to Haileybury School

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