WHYTE, Ernest Rogers
| Service Number: | F/2824 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Air Mechanic 1st Class |
| Last Unit: | Royal Naval Air Service (WW1) |
| Born: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 January 1890 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Applied Engineer |
| Died: | Killed in Action while patrolling North Sea, North Sea, 11 December 1917, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Commemorated Chatham Naval Memorial |
| Memorials: | Nowra Hill Naval Aviation Tribute |
World War 1 Service
| Date unknown: | Involvement Air Mechanic 1st Class, F/2824, Royal Naval Air Service (WW1) |
|---|
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Son of William John WHYTE and Helen nee HENDERSON, "Narbethony" Garden Road, Bromley, Kent.
Mentioned in despatches 01 May 1918
He was described as 5'2" tall, brown hair, brown eyes with a flesh complexion.
Ernest, born in Melbourne Australia on 31st January 1890, was the youngest of William John and Helen Whyte's three sons.
In 1901 the family were living at the Royal Bell Hotel, by 1911 the rest of the family were at Narbethgong, Garden Road while Ernest was in Denny Stirlingshire. Ernest was working at the Carrongrove Paper Mill, at the end of December 1913 he moved to an appointment with Messrs. Bertram, Edinburgh.
Even though he was lame Ernest enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service on 30th December 1914. He served in Gallipoli before returning home to coastal patrols.
Working as an Applied Engineer he enlisted with the Royal Naval Air Service on 30 December 1914 and was posted to H.M.S. Pembroke III. Serving here until 31 March 1915 before transferring to H.M.S. President (Pulham). Here he formed part of the crew of C27 a coastal airship responsible for patrolling the coastlines and targeting German submarines and other commerce raiders.
On 11th December 1917 Airship C27 left Pulham St Mary, Norfolk for a patrol to the east of the Norfolk coast, Ernest was the mechanic. The patrol proceeded normally but at 9.40 radio contact ceased. The C27 had run into trouble as they were spotted by a German Hansa-Brandenburg W12. They attacked the C27 and set it on fire. The C27 then crashed into the sea, killing all five crew members.
Ernest was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church.
C27 was on patrol on 11 December 1917 over the coast of Norfolk, in regular wireless contact with Pulham they suddenly ceased communications at 09:40. They had drifted too far to the east and came into contact with a flight of German seaplanes led by Oberleutnant Friedrich Christiansen. Despite C27's machine gun being manned she was unable to evade or properly fight the German aircraft and was shot down, with one of the enemy spotters even taking a photograph of her final moments. C27's disappearance was so absolute that another airship C26 was sent to look for her, this airship ran out of fuel and was blown down over Holland where the crew were interned.
Whyte received a posthumous 'mention' on 1 May 1918 and is remembered upon the Chatham Naval Memorial.
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