Whitty family at the front

Lt. Col. Michael Joseph Whitty, and his son Cpt. John Leo Whitty

Michael Joseph Whitty who was with us at SVC 1876-81 came from a long extended family line at Knock and he in turn whilst stationed in Ireland sent the three eldest of his five sons: Patrick Joseph, Richard Xavier and John Leo, who all were born in Cape Town, South Africa and with us 1904-06, and remarkably all three sons and their father served in WWI.

Michael Joseph the father joined the Royal Army Medical Corps at the age of twenty-three, putting in service in Ireland, Cape Town, Hong Kong, and Egypt, then acted as medical inspector of recruits in the Western Command, at which stage Liverpool became home to the family, promoted major in 1900, and lieutenant-colonel, six years later and was awarded the DSO. He died 28 Mar 1917, aged 53, and lies buried in Liverpool (Yew Tree) RC Cemetery and is also commemorated at the Liverpool Medical Institute.

Patrick Joseph the eldest son was commissioned 6 Feb 1909 (from Sandhurst) as Sec-Lieut., 2nd Bn. Royal Irish Regiment, then Lieut. att. Machine Gun Corps and then as Squadron Commander of Cadet Wing Royal Flying Corp. He survived the war and also service thereafter with the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary. He married 1929 but died 8 Oct 1930 in Paris, France, aged 40.

Richard Xavier the second son was commissioned 20 Sep 1911, Captain, then Adjutant in the Welch Fusiliers and mentioned in dispatches. Promoted Major 22 Nov 1930 and retired 9 Jan 1937. He died 19 Sep 1948 in Cotswold Sanatorium, Cranham, Gloucestershire, aged 56. Probate was granted to Mjr-General Henry Martin Whitty, a younger brother (not at SVC) and the fourth son to serve at the front.

John Leo the third son was gazetted into the Leinster Regiment in February 1913. He joined the 1st Battalion at Fyzabad the following September and after the outbreak of war returned with it from India to France. He was wounded during the retaking of St Eloi on 15 March 1915, an action in which his battalion distinguished itself. Mentioned in Despatches for his gallantry and coolness, awarded the Military Cross the following June. He later served on attachment as Captain with the Royal Flying Corps 70th Sqdn. and was killed in action 8 July 1916, aged 21, when he was hit by anti-aircraft fire during a reconnaissance flight over enemy territory during the Battle of the Somme. He has no known grave but is commemorated at the Arras Flying Services Memorial in Pas de Calais and at St.Francis Xavier's R.C. School, Everton.

Michael Joseph Whitty had come to us from the Waterford side of Carrick-on-Suir, as the youngest of five brothers, born 24 Mar 1863, and his three elder brothers were also at SVC:

• Fr. Thomas John Whitty, born 24 Jun 1860, at SVC 1874-78, died Dublin 16 Dec 1919, aged 59
• Fr.. Martin J. Whitty, CM, born 11 Nov 1858, at SVC 1871-78, and then SVC staff 1882-85 and 1896-06, died Sheffield 22 Apr 1911, aged 52
• Anthony Whitty, born 1 Mar 1857, at SVC 1870-73, landed Philadelphia, USA 30 May 1897, became naturalised US citizen 25 Jul 1902, died Manhattan, New York, 7 Feb 1918, aged 60

The fifth and eldest brother Dr. P.J. Whitty, born 14 Feb 1853, was not at SVC but when he died young, his four sons were sent, and a sporting bunch they were for the below photograph captures the three then at SVC all making the 1910-11 SCT.

1910-11 Senior Rugby XV

Tom Whitty, Angus Whitty. Tom Donovan. Jerome Carroll. Michael O'Sullivan. Nicholas Filose
Pat Coll, Frank O'Donnell, George Kennedy. Desmond O'Neill (Capt.), John Kavanagh, Gipson Thornton
Pat Whitty, Michael Burke

Richard Hazelton, born 29 Oct 1891, at SVC 1903-09, the eldest was rejected for army service on account of his eyesight, and instead, abandoning his medical studies at TCD, he headed east to make his fortune in rubber plantations but drowned 30 Mar 1938, aged 46, when the ship he was returning on to Batu Pahat, Johore, Malaya sunk in the Red Sea.

Thomas Anthony, born 14 Jun 1893, at SVC 1903-11, joined up as a Private in the "Pals'" "D" Coy of 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers and was made L/Cpl Jan 1915. He was killed in action Gallipoli 16 Aug 1915, aged 22,

He has no known grave but is commemorated on Panel 190 to 196 on the Helles Memorial, Gallipoli and by the War Memorial maintained by the IRFU in Lansdowne Road.

Patrick Joseph, born 18 May 1894, at SVC 1903-12, followed the Hazelton (maternal family) tradition and entered politics. He was the last elected Irish Parliamentary Party MP for Louth (1916-18) and was the last living MP of that party when he died 28 Jul 1967, aged 73. Post Irish politics he moved to Jamaica where he practised as an accountant, and then retired to England where home when he passed was Birmingham.

Martin Angus, born 17 Apr 1895, at SVC 1903-12, Sec-Lieut., 3rd Royal Dublin Fusiliers, then Lieut, Capt.,wounded, settled in Jamaica after the war where until his retirement he worked as the accountant at Long Pond, one of the oldest sugar estates in the island. Died 18 Dec 1969, aged 74, Trelawny, Falmouth, Jamaica.

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So of the four brothers of the first generation at SVC, one settled in the USA, two joined the clergy and the youngest, Michael J.  Whitty joined the forces, and five of the seven 2nd generation Whitty's at SVC joined him at the front, and of those six, three lost their lives in that cause.

The Whitty's more than answered Redmond's call to go 'wherever the firing line extends'.