[2][3] Whitehouse was educated at Marlborough College where he played in the cricket XI between 1933 and 1935, scoring 355 runs and taking 35 wickets in 1935.
[3] His father committed suicide in January 1936 whilst in India, the result of a decision by Strauss and Co. to cease trading.
[3][4][8] In total Whitehouse played in 24 first-class matches, scoring 927 runs and taking 43 wickets.
[3] After enlisting in the Black Watch in March 1941, Whitehouse was identified as a potential officer in the British Indian Army, his father having served in the Karachi Volunteer Artillery.
He trained in India as an officer cadet and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 6th Battalion of the 13th Frontier Force Rifles of the Indian Army in May 1942.