I am trying to find out any information on Driver 'Archie' Whitehouse, who served with 1st Parachute Squadron RE. The reason for my interest being that my grandfather may well have been the pilot of the glider that carried him across to Arnhem in September 1944. I understand that his Army number was 2094095 and that he undertook parachute training course 18 at RAF Ringway during 13-21 July 1942. As such, it is likely that he also served in North Africa, Sicily, Italy as well as Arnhem. I would be particularly interested to find out his full name (or at least initials) and any other available information. I was hoping to be able to find some information from the enlistment/enrolment registers of the Royal Engineers, but have been told by the RE Museum that they do not have these registers in their archives. Any help shall be appreciated!
There mention in this memoire of a Driver Whitehouse - An account of Operation Market Garden, by Sapper L Plummer. | ParaData - about halfway down the page (or Control&F then insert Whitehouse) I am sure other Para sepcialists will be along to add more You can obtain service records from the MOD via - Requests for personal data and service records: a detailed guide - GOV.UK TD
Yes, the Dvr Whitehouse in Les Plummer's account is the same man. This is the only such account mentioning him that I have come across so far. I would indeed be interested to obtain his service record. However, I would first need to obtain his consent, or a death certificate if he is no longer with us. For either, it would be great to find out his first names, or at least initials. Would anyone have the list of men on 18 Course at Ringway (13-21 July 1942), in case this shows any further details? Or would anyone know the whereabouts of the enlistment/enrolment registers of the Royal Engineers? Any further help appreciated!
Searching for Archibold (or similar) Whitehouse it appears on 2 were born in England & Wales that age wise would fit the bill: Archie Bernard Whitehouse 18 Jun 1914 Jun 1983 Walsall West Midlands Archibald Seymour Whitehouse 13 Nov 1916 Dec 1983 Malvern Hereford and Worcester It might be a tentative start TD
1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION 8 Shortlands Lane, Aldridge, Staffordshire NAME DOB OCCUPATION Thomas Whitehouse 10 Jul 1878 Colliery Watchman (Above) Charlotte Whitehouse 13 Sep 1883 Unpaid Domestic Duties Archie B Whitehouse 18 Jun 1914 Bobber, Metal Polisher Lawrence W Whitehouse 29 Sep 1915 Power Press Operator 1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION 153 Malvern Road, Worcester, Worcestershire NAME DOB OCCUPATION Harry Whitehouse 31 Dec 1875 Manufacturer Picture Framer Laura I Whitehouse 15 Nov 1883 Unpaid Domestic Duties Edwin Whitehouse 07 Aug 1912 Manager Dispatch Department Picture Frame Warehouse Archibald S Whitehouse 13 Nov 1916 Stock Broker Clerk Dorothy M Sims (Quartley) 09 Feb 1909 Domestic Servant
Much appreciated... I managed to contact Archibald Seymour Whitehouse's family. They say that he did not serve in the Army. I obtained death certificate and service record for Archie Bernard Whitehouse (assuming that it must therefore be him), only to find that he served with the Royal Artillery and therefore was not the right gentleman. As such, hoping to find some more leads on his name/initials from unit records and enrolment registers. The above info. on course at Ringway was shared by Airborne Assault Museum at Duxford.
That's the problem with nicknames - they often bear no resemblance whatsoever to the chap's actual name. Algernon Desmond Wigan - "Pat" Arnold Ralph Bradley - "Jim" Great!
Indeed The information shared by the Airborne Assault Museum at least referred to him as "Dvr A Whitehouse" - which is promising in terms of the nickname 'Archie' being directly related to his actual name - although I have not seen the original course documentation for 18 parachute training course. I was really hoping to find the enlistment/enrolment registers, as - equipped with his service no. - it would have been relatively straightforward to find him listed there.
Pember, I have one full report from a much later jump course. It provides the service number, rank, last name only of each individual and a short comment on how well he did. I'm not sure if the same format was followed consistently with all reports. You would have to contact Paradata and make a small donation to acquire the info you seek. Do you have any more info on your grandfather the glider pilot? Member John Sliz wrote a book on the Squadron at Arnhem, though it may not include a nominal roll or mention of Driver Whitehouse. Amazon.com: Engineers At The Bridge: The 1st Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers At Arnhem (0785934309367): John Sliz: Books Regards ...
In 'Leading the Way to Arnhem', there is a copy of the report for 23rd Course, Aug 1942, for men of 21 Independent Parachute Company. For most of the men there are only initials and for some just the surname. It is most probably the same for 18th Course, which happened only a month before. So unlikely to be a full name there.
Pember, Is this info from "Glider Pilots at Arnhem" on your grandfather and his co-pilot correct? Pember, L. S/Sgt. D/13, RAR, CN-396 Affolter, L.M. Sgt. 165251, D/13, RAR, CN-396 The relevant section from the table. Take off on September 17 at 10:16 from Keevil Airfield. Regards ...
The names and ranks are correct, as well as their squadron and flight. As you have deduced, my grandfather was S/Sgt Len Pember. What is not correct is the glider chalk number (indicated as CN-396). The identification of that particular chalk number as my grandfather's, was based on an assumption that the sappers my grandfather took to Arnhem were from 9th Airborne Field Coy RE and details of their load cross-checked against the ORB of 299 Squadron RAF. However, since then, the glider load manifest for CN-396 came to light, which discounted that possibility, and this was substantiated by further information that gliders of D/13 were actually towed by 196 Squadron RAF. Consequently, reached the conclusion that the sappers must have been from the gliderborne element of 1st Parachute Sqdn RE. Unfortunately, chalk number unknown.
Pember, Thanks for the clarification. Does the full Sgt. Affolter account as told to Luuk Buist shed any light on the matter? "Affolter, Sergeant L., 5 Flt, ‘D’ Sqn GPR, correspondence with Luuk Buist, 1991 onwards." Regards ...
Luuk kindly shared a survey form that he had received from Len Affolter. There is a quote taken from that form in 'Glider Pilots at Arnhem'. The information on the form essentially confirmed what I had previously found out from Len Affolter. It was Len who informed me in the first place that they had taken sappers to Arnhem. Finding out who those sappers were is proving a little more tricky...
The ORB of 196 Sqn shows that they flew 24 combinations on the 17th September of which two failed to arrive at the DZ. Of these 20 gliders (Chalks 459 to 478) were allocated to 1 Parachute Brigade. 1 Para Sqn had 2 of these gliders (Chalks 471 and 472) allocated to them. I know from talking with Tom Hicks, one of the few survivors of 1 Para Sqn, that Lt Timothy Romilly Hall went to Arnhem by glider. Tom said that he was asked to become Hall's batman but refused to fly in with him by glider, preferring to trust his luck to a parachute. For some reason Hall is not listed in Who Was Who at the Battle of Arnhem but I know that he was wounded on the 23rd and admitted to St Joseph's hospital in Apeldoorn. There is quite a lot of information on Hall at the National Army Museum (not all of it correct though - he was not wounded by machine gun whilst parachuting into Arnhem)
I have been in touch with the National Army Museum. They have some interesting materials, but unfortunately nothing that sheds light on the gliderborne element of 1st Parachute Sqdn RE.
Tricky Dicky & Harkness, The next most likely candidate would be: Archibald Whitehouse, born 10 Oct 1907, Alverstoke, Hampshire; married Florence EM Aldred, 1933, Portsmouth, Hampshire; buried 1976 Plymouth, Devon. Otherwise, other options born in earlier years and I would therefore presume too old. @ Harkness, can you possibly check the 1939 Register for me, to see if Archibald Whitehouse b.1907 appears?
Nothing showing up I'm afraid. I also searched for Florence and the only close match was: 1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION 42 Ganges Road, Plymouth, Devon NAME DOB OCCUPATION Florence E M Whitehouse 12 Oct 1903 Wrns (married)
