Robert Lyons Whyte
Robert Lyons Whyte was born on February 25th 1921 in Toronto, Ontario Canada. His parents were Percy John Whyte and Mrs. Gladys Olive Whyte.
He lived at 106 Renfrew Ave in Ottawa with his parents. He was listed as single. He has blue eyes and blonde hair. His family was from the Church of England. Identifying markers were 1 vaccination scar on his left arm, a mole over hie left kneecap and a mole over his right scapula. He measured 5 foot 7 inches high and weighed 123 pounds. When he enlisted he had quite a few cavities and was suffering from a cold. He listed his occupation as student when he enlisted.
He served in the reserve forces before the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the 3rd Division, Signals, RCCS on February 5th 1939. He transferred to active duty by enlisting in the second world war on September 14th 1939, four days after Canada entered the war. He was 18 years old when he enlisted.
This is evidence of a great sense of duty to serve his country.
Whyte boarded the Ship E4 on December 7th 1939 from Halifax and landed in the UK. He was in active duty from the time he landed in the UK on December 18th 1939. He was attached to the 2nd Field regiment R.C.A for all purposes, from December 1939 to May 20th 1940. He was posted to the X list May 25th 1940, and granted leave on August 20th 1940 and again on November 4th 1940.
He was admitted to the No. 1 Neurological Hospital and placed on the D.1 List on April 13 1941. While attached to the No 1 Neurological Hospital because he died as a result of a motor accident whilst preforming duties of Despatch rider.
The field medical card reports that he suffered an accidental injury which he sustained head injuries including lacerations on the left side of his forehead, and a potential concussion. He was found to be semi-conscious when medical crews came to tend to him. They also listed that he may have sustained a possible fracture of skill. Unfortunately, Whyte succombed to his injusires on April 15th 1941 at 9:20 in the morning. The official cause was a fractured skull and a middle meningeal haemorrhage.
His remains are burried in Brookwood Cemetary in Surrey England, his grave location is Plot No. 30, Row D, Grave 1.
Upon his death, a memorial award was sent to his parents at 106 Renfrew avenue, it was the Defenze Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and the C.V.S.M & Clasp. They recieved it on November 23rd 1949. They were now living as a family at 461 Churchill Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario.
Newspaper clipping – From the Toronto Star April 1941. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
Newspaper Clipping – From the Ottawa Citizen. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me
Newspaper Clipping – From the Ottawa Citizen. Submitted for the project, Operation: Picture Me
Works Cited
Robert Lyons Whyte- The Canadian Virtual War Memorial - Veterans Affairs Canada, https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2929429?Robert%20Lyons%20Whyte Accessed 1 November 2023.
“Second World War Service Files – War Dead, 1939 to 1947.” Collection Search, http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=kia&id=37883&lang=eng . Accessed 26 October 2023.
The biographies appearing on this website have been written by students, roughly the same age as the soldiers they are studying, using primary source evidence from Library and Archives Canada, in addition to primary source documents from The Virtual War Memorial on veterans.ca. We welcome any corrections or additions you may have to these biographies.
'If we do preserve it, we honour them, and when we in our turn pass on, we will know that behind us lives a generation of free men and of free women to be the keepers of this great heritage of ours - Canada.'
- Ian A. McPhee, former student at GCI, 1937.
Glebe Collegiate Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
