Born at Cambridge.
Enlisted at London on the 30th of December 1843.
Age: 19.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: None shown.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Wilson Kennedy" on the 2nd of May 1854.
The muster roll states that he "Died in the Regimental Hospital" on the 14th of August 1855.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasp for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He was recommended for this on the 12th of January 1855, and received it with a gratuity of £5. It is not known for what action this was awarded. Neither is there any proof that he actually rode in the Charge, but it can reasonably be presumed that he did so.
In 1939 a group of James Whitechurch's medals was sold at auction. At this time it included a French Legion of Honour, but although this was awarded to other men of the regiment there is nothing to show that it was ever awarded to him.
The following is an extract regarding the award made to a man of the 13th Light Dragoons.
A Confidential Memo from the Horse Guards dated the 31st of November 1855, stated that:
"It is intended to distribute a certain number of Decorations of the French Legion of Honour to Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the Cavalry Regiments who have been proposed as the most deserving, of the Fifth Class."
The Memo ended with the request the names of or Privates as considered most deserving be transmitted as soon as possible. However, by this date Whitechurch was already dead, and there is no case known of this award being made to a deceased man.