2nd Lieutenant Herbert Searle WHITMORE
3rd (Reserve) Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

Date of birth: 23rd June 1891
Date of death: 6th December 1965

Survived aged 74
Buried at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Westerham in Kent
Herbert Searle Whitmore was born at "Sunnyside", Groombridge in East Sussex on the 23rd of June 1891 the eldest son of Herbert Searle Whitmore, director of a tannery, and Annette (nee Watkins) Whitmore of “The Red House” Tenchley’s Park, Limpsfield in Surrey.

He was educated at a school in Tunbridge Wells before going to Hazelwood School until April 1905. He was a member of the Cricket XI in 1904 when the school magazine made the following comments on his season: - "Another diminutive sportsman, who only wants more inches to become good all round."

On leaving the school the magazine wrote of him: - "....goes to Marlborough. He has represented the school in cricket and hockey."

." He went on to Marlborough College where he was in C3 House from May 1905 until Easter 1909. He matriculated for Sidney College Cambridge the same year where he graduated with a BA in Chemistry in 1912. He Coxed the College boat in 1910. On leaving university he went into the family tanning business of Whitmore's (Edenbridge)

He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry on the 27th of October 1914 but resigned his commission on the 31st of August 1915 due to ill health and was given recruiting work.

When he left the army he returned to the family business.

He was engaged to Miss Mary Stanbury-Eardley in 1927 but this engagement was broken off. He was married instead to Mary Clayton (nee Madden) on the 28th of August 1930 at Edenbridge Parish Church; they had a son Roger and a daughter Sarah and lived at “Hilders”, Edenbridge, Kent. He was an Underwriting Member of Lloyds and a Justice of the Peace.

He died at "Boon's Park", Four Elms in Kent and his funeral was held at Edenbridge Parish Church on the 9th of December 1965 followed by a burial at Westerham in Kent.

His brother, Captain Roger Searle Whitmore MC 1st Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, was killed in action on the 20th of November 1917.
Went on to Marlborough College

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