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Whittlesey, Henry C. (0358386): Difference between revisions

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Rewrite bio from Gross Whittlesey note; death date 2 February 1945; Dixie Mission cites
Clear profile photo (memorial sheet is a text document); keep sheet in Gallery
 
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|birth_place=Chongqing, China
|birth_place=Chongqing, China
|arm_or_service=Military Intelligence
|arm_or_service=Military Intelligence
|rank_final=Captain
|rank_final=First Lieutenant
|death_date=2 February 1945
|death_date=21 January 1945
|specialty=Photo Interpretation
}}
}}


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'''Henry Clark Whittlesey''' (10 August 1906&ndash;2 February 1945) was a China-born Ritchie Boy ([[Class 3]]) and Dixie Mission officer killed in China; he received the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.
'''[[Whittlesey, Henry C. (0358386)|Henry Clark Whittlesey]]''' (10 August 1906 – 21 January 1945) was a Chongqing-born Ritchie Boy (Class 3) killed in action and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Henry Clark Whittlesey was born on 10 August 1906 in Chongqing, China, one of six children of missionaries Roger and Annie Withey Whittlesey. He attended the Chefoo Schools in China through 1918 and later Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania (1924–1928). After returning to the United States he worked as a journalist in Philadelphia.
Henry Clark Whittlesey was born on 10 August 1906 in Chongqing, China, one of six children of missionaries Roger and Annie Withey Whittlesey. He attended the Chefoo Schools in China through 1918 and later Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania (1924–1928).


During World War II he trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 3) and at the Yale University Chinese School (1943). Fluent in Chinese, he joined the Dixie Mission (1944–1945), the American observation group sent to Yan’an to assess the Chinese Communists and consider closer wartime cooperation. While preparing in India and working in the Yan’an area he also wrote short wartime sketches later collected by his daughter Ruth Schroeder as ''Sidelights of the War''.
He trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 3) and served as a first lieutenant in military intelligence. He was killed in action on 21 January 1945 and received the Distinguished Service Cross.
 
On 2 February 1945, while on a reconnaissance trip south of Fouping connected with plans to evacuate downed pilots, Whittlesey was killed; accounts differ on whether he and a photographer were shot by Japanese snipers or captured and executed. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
* To Yale. See: Mission to Yenan
* To Yale. See: Mission to Yenan
* Dixie Mission; death 2 February 1945 near Fouping (accounts differ)
* Dixie Mission; death 2 February 1945 near Fouping (accounts differ)
* Dixie Mission / AGAS; death 21 January 1945 per Gross Dixie Mission note (other sources give 2 February 1945)
== Gallery ==
<div class="soldier-gallery">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
Whittlesey_Henry_C_0358386_portrait.jpg|Family memorial biographical sheet for Henry Clark Whittlesey (text document — not a portrait)
</gallery>
</div>


== Technical record ==
== Technical record ==
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* Born Born and raised in China, Henry Whittlesey moved back to the United States before going to college. After marrying Jane Bernard, who gave birth to his first child Julia (Feeley) in 1942, he was summoned to help the American government explore means of cooperating more closely with the Communists in China as Roosevelt became increasingly dissatisfied.
* 10 August 1906 — Born in Chongqing, China.
* Distinguished Service Cross.
* 1918 / 1924–1928 — Chefoo Schools; Lafayette College.
* Camp Ritchie Class 3 — Military intelligence training.
* 21 January 1945 — Killed in action; Distinguished Service Cross.
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== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [[:File:Whittlesey_Henry_C_0358386_portrait.jpg|Henry Clark Whittlesey (RB Archive memorial packet)]]
* RB Archive family / memorial packet for Henry Clark Whittlesey (FL1274643)
* Henry C. Whittlesey, ''Sidelights of the War'', ed. Ruth Schroeder (New York: Transfer Art, 2006)
* Henry C. Whittlesey, ''Sidelights of the War'', ed. Ruth Schroeder (New York: Transfer Art, 2006)
* Carolle J. Carter, ''Mission to Yenan: American Liaison with the Chinese Communists 1944–1947'' (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1997)
* Carolle J. Carter, ''Mission to Yenan: American Liaison with the Chinese Communists 1944–1947'' (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1997)

Latest revision as of 20:30, 16 September 2026

Henry Clark Whittlesey
Personal details
Born10 August 1906
Chongqing, China
Died21 January 1945
NativityUnited States
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
Arm / serviceMilitary Intelligence
ASN0358386
RankFirst Lieutenant
Camp RitchieClass 3 (2 November – 23 December 1942)
SectionH
SpecialtyPhoto Interpretation
Awards and honors
Distinguished Service Cross
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.


Henry Clark Whittlesey (10 August 1906 – 21 January 1945) was a Chongqing-born Ritchie Boy (Class 3) killed in action and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Henry Clark Whittlesey was born on 10 August 1906 in Chongqing, China, one of six children of missionaries Roger and Annie Withey Whittlesey. He attended the Chefoo Schools in China through 1918 and later Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania (1924–1928).

He trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 3) and served as a first lieutenant in military intelligence. He was killed in action on 21 January 1945 and received the Distinguished Service Cross.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • To Yale. See: Mission to Yenan
  • Dixie Mission; death 2 February 1945 near Fouping (accounts differ)
  • Dixie Mission / AGAS; death 21 January 1945 per Gross Dixie Mission note (other sources give 2 February 1945)

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 39
Class_ASN 358386
Class_Name WHITTLESEY, Henry C.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 10 August 1906 — Born in Chongqing, China.
  • 1918 / 1924–1928 — Chefoo Schools; Lafayette College.
  • Camp Ritchie Class 3 — Military intelligence training.
  • 21 January 1945 — Killed in action; Distinguished Service Cross.

Sources[edit | edit source]

  • Henry Clark Whittlesey (RB Archive memorial packet)
  • RB Archive family / memorial packet for Henry Clark Whittlesey (FL1274643)
  • Henry C. Whittlesey, Sidelights of the War, ed. Ruth Schroeder (New York: Transfer Art, 2006)
  • Carolle J. Carter, Mission to Yenan: American Liaison with the Chinese Communists 1944–1947 (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1997)
  • Dan Gross research archive (miscellaneous timeline-adjacent documents; not uploaded): Henry C. Whittlesey note.doc
  • Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
  • Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
  • NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
  • 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-12-26 (1 post)
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Henry C. Whittlesey for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Whittlesey, Henry C. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: HENRY C. WHITTLESEY.doc)