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

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Enrich Dixie Mission/AGAS narrative; death_date 21 January 1945 with source conflict note
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'''Henry Clark Whittlesey''' (10 August 1906&ndash;21 January 1945) was a China-born Ritchie Boy ([[Class 3]]) on the Dixie Mission; he was killed near Japanese lines in China and 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 in Class 3 (photo interpretation) and at the Yale University Chinese School (1943). Fluent in Chinese, he joined the Dixie Mission (United States Army Observation Group) to Yan’an in 1944—the first U.S. liaison and intelligence mission with the Chinese Communists—arriving with the first party on 22 July 1944 under Colonel David D. Barrett. Whittlesey represented the Air Ground Aid Service (AGAS), helping downed American airmen avoid capture or escape Japanese imprisonment.
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 21 January 1945, while entering a village near Japanese lines that Communist guides had reported clear, Whittlesey and a photographer were killed by Japanese snipers. He is remembered as the only member of the Dixie Mission to die in the line of duty. (Some secondary accounts date the death 2 February 1945.) He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously. Short wartime sketches he wrote were later collected by his daughter Ruth Schroeder as ''Sidelights of the War''.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
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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 ==
* 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)

Revision as of 19:56, 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

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

  • 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)

Technical record

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

  • 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

  • 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)
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