Ordinary Seaman J/61741 Sidney Whiteley, HMS Partridge was born the 31st of May, 1894, the son of hairdresser Thomas Henry Whiteley and Lillia Whiteley. Sidney was baptised on the 20th of June 1894 at St Matthias, Burley, West Yorkshire. The Baptism register records Thomas as a hairdresser and the family address as 90, Burley Lodge Road, Burley. The service was conducted by S W Cockerill.

The 1901 census finds Sidney with his family at 35 Shepherds Lane, Potter Newton, West Yorkshire. Thomas aged 32 is a hairdresser on his own account, born Halifax. The other family members were all born in Leeds - Lily aged 34 and children Edith aged 10, John aged 8, Sidney aged 6, and Charles aged 5. Also present was hairdressers assistant John Hackworth aged 29 born Leeds and servant Mary Burton aged 15, also born Leeds.

By 1911 the family were resident at 12, New Briggate, Leeds. Thomas is still a hairdresser. Lily is not present but the couple had been married for twenty years and have produced five children, all surviving childhood. Children recorded are Edith, a hairdressers assistant; John, an insurance clerk; Sidney a hairdressers assistant; Charles, a hairdressers assistant and Jessie aged 6, born Leeds.

Sidney joined the Royal Navy on the 10th of November, 1916 for “hostilities only”. He was posted to HMS Victory and his first ship was the M Class destroyer HMS Partridge, of the 14th Destroyer Flotilla which he went onboard on the 7th of December, 1917.

On the 11th of the month, HMS Partridge departed Lerwick in company with HMS Pellew and a number of armed trawlers to escort six merchant ships to Bergen. En route, the convoy was engaged by German destroyers and HMS Partridge took the brunt of the action being hit repeatedly by shells and was torpedoed. On the following day, HMS Partridge sank. Of the crew, ninety seven drowned and only twenty four were rescued. Sidney was not among the survivors, he has no known grave and is remembered on the Portsmouth Memorial.

Following the action, Lieutenant Grey sacrificed a place in the life raft for another officer and perished. His action was recognised by the Royal Humane Society, who awarded the Stanhope Gold Medal

Note: Sidney's brother, Private 23896 Charles Whiteley of the 10th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment was killed in action on the 1st of July, 1916 on the Somme. He is buried in Fricourt New Military Cemetery.