Royal Air Force.

Awarded the Air Force Cross in the London Gazette of 2 November 1918.

Whitaker was a native of Burnley, Lancashire.

The Burnley Express of 16 November 1918 reported: - BURNLEY FLYING OFFICER INJURED. Winner of Air Cross. Lieutenant Roy Whitaker, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. George Whitaker, Scot Park Road, Burnley, and who is in the Royal Air Force, is lying in hospital in Manchester as a result of a flying accident yesterday week. Only a few days prior to the mishap, Lieutenant Roy Whitaker was awarded the Air Force Cross for consistent good work in the R.A.F. He is the brother of Captain Jack Whitaker, M.C., of the R.F.A., now a prisoner of war in Germany. For the most part Lieutenant Whitaker was regularly engaged in taking machines to France and bringing back others, and had crossed the channel scores of times without mishap. Of late he has been testing machines at a Northern Aerodrome, and it was whilst so engaged yesterday week that he came down heavily. Lieutenant Whitaker sustained a double fracture of the thigh and severe injuries to the head and he is suffering from shock. His parents have visited him in hospital, and, though his life was at one time in danger, he is now improving. The latest news we have of him is that his condition is as satisfactory as can be expected.