Clive Alan Whittingham, born on the 28th January 1893 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada was the younger brother of Air Marshal Sir Harold Whittingham and the son of Engineer Rear-Admiral William Whittingham, CE, and Mrs Whittingham, of Ingleholme, Crookston.
He was educated at Greenock Academy and Glasgow High School, where he was a keen lover of outdoor games and sports and an enthusiastic member of the Cadet Corps.
In 1909, he began studying medicine at the University of Glasgow. He was a distinguished scholar, receiving class prizes in systematic and practical zoology, physiology and practical pharmacy. He was also awarded the class medal for systematic zoology in 1910.
Son of Engineer Rear-Admiral William Whittingham, C.B. (Royal Navy), and Mrs. Elizabeth Annie Whittingham, of "Ingleholme," Cookston, Cardonald, Glasgow, Scotland. Born Halifax, Nova Scotia.
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In 1914, while still a student, he obtained a commission as a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps (Special Reserve) and underwent a course of training at Aldershot. He returned to his studies and passed his finals with commendation in 1916, graduating MB ChB. After a short period of training in England, he was sent straight to France in May 1916, where he served with a brigade of Royal Field Artillery. On completion of six months' service he obtained his Captaincy.
Subsequently he was posted to the 12th Royal Fusiliers, City of London regiment. On the evening of 9th June 1917 the battalion had just relieved the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers in trenches near Amstrasse. At 9.45pm, Captain Whittingham was one of four officers, including the CO Lieutenant Colonel Compton and the Adjutant, Captain Gerard Montague Gordon - also a Glasgow graduate, wounded by a shell which landed on Battalion headquarters. Whittingham, aged 24, and Gordon both died of wounds around midnight and were buried with full military honours at a funeral service in Reninghelst Military Cemetery, 10 kilometers south west of Ypres, two days later. Lieutenant Colonel Compton Compton also later died of his wounds on 7th July at Etaples hospital.
Friends foretold a distinguished place in medicine, although, going as he did direct from University to the trenches, he had no opportunity of taking it. He was described by the officer in command of his regiment as 'one of the bravest men he had met, who, after being himself mortally wounded, continued to direct what should be done for others about him'.
