More about Samuel Whyte

Originally served with Royal Army Medical Corps, 1237. Samuel was the brother of Pte David Whyte, 3/3989, 1st Battalion Black Watch, who was killed in action 09.05.1915 and L/Cpl Thomas Whyte, 19895, 10/11th Battalion Highland Light infantry, who was killed in action 14.08.1917, and Pte Alexander Whyte, 62071, Labour Corps, who also served and returned home safely.

Samuel Whyte   241869   Royal Army Service Corps

DUNDEE FOOTBALLER SERIOUSLY WOUNDED.

A footballer, well known in Dundee and Forfar, Sam Whyte, who was a reservist in the Black Watch, and was sent abroad with the Expeditionary Force, has been seriously wounded in battle, and at present lies in a French hospital.  Mrs Whyte the footballer’s wife, is at present residing in Forfar, and intimation of her husband’s illness was conveyed to her by the Rev. R. R. Walker, chaplain to H. M. Forces.  The communication was written in one of the field hospitals, and in it Mr Walker states :^__

“I am writing to say that your husband is in hospital seriously wounded.  The doctors are hopeful for his recovery, but I feel it only fair to you to let you know the wound is serious.  Your husband has done his duty nobly and truly as a soldier in time of our nation’s great need, and you can justly feel proud of him.  Whyte was signed on by Forfar Athletic at the end of last season, previous to which he played for Dundee Hibs.

Dundee People’s Journal 3rd October 1914

A FORFAR LAD KILLED.

Private David Whyte, 1st Black Watch, who was killed in action on 9th May, was a native of Forfar.  Private Whyte was a younger brother of Sam Whyte, the well-known Dundee Hibs and Forfar footballer, who was severely wounded in the retreat from Mons, and has since received his discharge.

Montrose Standard 11th June 1915

SOLDIER BROTHERS.

TWO KILLED AND A THIRD DISABLED.

When war broke out the family of Mrs Whyte, Bervie Street, Dundee, was well represented in our fighting forces, three of her four sons proceeding to France with the Expeditionary Force.  To-day, however, the family has no representative in the firing line, two of the sons having fallen on the field of honour, and the third having been discharged from the army as the result of severe wounds sustained in the early days of the fighting.

Information of the deaths of the two sons came last week, the intervening time between the notifications being tragically brief.  The report of the death in action of Private David Whyte, of the 1st Black Watch, came on Thursday night, while on Friday the family was further stricken by the news that Lance-Corporal Thomas Whyte, of the 2d Highland Light Infantry, had also fallen.  The third son is ex-Private Samuel Whyte, 1st Black Watch, a well-known Dundee footballer, whose boast it is that he played for every senior Club in Forfarshire with the exception of Arbroath.  He was given a trial for Dundee F.C. in 1907, and his last Club was Dundee Hibs.

Both David and Thomas were also keen footballers, and both played for their regimental elevens, the three brothers having between them some 40 trophies, testifying to their prowess at the winter game.  Samuel was a reservist when war broke out, but the other two were serving with the colours.

Dundee People’s Journal 12th June 1915