Percy Owen Phillips Died 27^th March 1918

Neil Phillips, the Great Grand Nephew of Percy Phillips provides details of his life, family and war experience:

Percy’s death was the final chapter of a tragic story for his parents, Owen and Annie. Father Owen and Grandfather (also named Owen) were a successful family of builders in the Reading area, both stating themselves as ‘employers’ on the 1891 Census record. They were also a family who believed in schooling, Percy still being a scholar at the age of 15 (1911 Census) and his Aunt Jane (sister to father Owen) was a music teacher.

Owen was 36 by the time he married Annie Curtis in 1893. They were to have three children, one was to die soon after birth, Mabel who was born in 1893 and in 1895 their son Percy Owen was born. By 1901, the family were trading in tobacco and were successful enough to employ a servant. Having lost one child, one would have hoped that they would keep both Mabel and Percy. This was not to be; Mabel died in 1917 and followed by Percy in the March of 1918; both aged 24 years old. We doubt that Owen and Annie were able to recover from the loss of all their children. Annie passed away in 1933, aged 75 and Owen was the last to die in 1938, aged 82.

Percy was a little young to be joining the first wave of servicemen in 1914, but we know that his service was first with the Royal Berkshire Regiment, 6th Battalion, before later joining the 5th.

The 6^th Battalion was raised at Shorncliffe by Lt Col Foley in September 1914 as his 5^th Battalion had become full. Command was soon passed to Lt Col A J W Dowell. They moved to Colchester in October 1914 to join 53^rd Brigade, part of one of the New Army Divisions, the 18^th. They trained at Colchester until May 1915 when they moved to Codford St Mary on Salisbury Plain ready for embarkation. They arrived in France on the 25^th July 1915 and sustained their first casualty when Pte S Danby was wounded by a shell whilst they were practising trench warfare. Their first real job was holding a front line trench opposite Mametz which began 22^nd August 1915. They missed the battle of Loos being kept in the Somme sector.

First Action for the 6th Battalion.

On the 22nd August 1915 the 6th Battalion moved for the first time into trenches opposite Mametz, three miles north of Bray. It was here the following day that two members of the Battalion were killed. Privates Wenman and Morrell of ‘B’ Company were ‘killed by a sniper opposite a mining area’. The Battalion continued the ordinary routine of trench warfare in this neighbourhood until the 16th September when they marched to Albert. One soldier reported ’The Madonna on the cathedral spire was hanging over the road’. They took over trenches 112 to 120 in ‘E’ Sector opposite La Boiselle with a battalion of 53 Brigade on their left and one of 55 Brigade on their right. In many places they were less than 15 yards from the enemy. There was a great deal of mining on both sides and there were many craters formed by the explosions. The Battalion provided 112 men for mining duties, in four shifts of 112 men, working 6 hour shifts.

It was on the 26th September, around the area of La Boiselle, that Percy was to recieve his

first major injury. The war diaries (see scan) mentions his name in the action in which he took part. There would have been a period of recouperation for Percy, but it may have been at the point of his return to action when he joined the 5th Battalion and its action at the Somme. At the end of 1915 the fifth had retired to Reserve and Christmas was spent at Béthune. The next few months were spent either in the trenches or training for the ‘big push’ They were transferred to III Corps on 16th June 1916 and made their debut at the Somme on 3rd July at Ovillers, fighting over ground strewn with the bodies of men from the 2nd Battalion. This engagement won them 6 MCs, 6 DCMs, and 17 MMs, but the Battalion was reduced to 340 men. They came under severe counter-attack on the 8th August winning another 14 MMs, 300 reinforcements joined them in October and they retired to Arras to recover.

The winter of 1916/7 was spent in and out of the trenches and training. They engaged in a short raid on the 17th March which was modestly successful. On the 9th April they moved out from Arras through a network of tunnels and distinguished themselves once more at Battery Valley where they captured many German guns, even managing to turn some of them on the fleeing Germans. The summer of 1917 was spent mainly in and around Arras but there were no major actions.

They arrived at Peronne on 15th November to prepare for the Battle of Cambrai, which was launched 20th November. They achieved all their objectives despite their tanks suffering breakdowns, but lost 6 officers and 161 ORs out of a starting tally of 17 officers and 590 ORs. The German counter-attack came on the 30th November and were forced to retire. Their German opponents later commented on the quality of the greatcoats and the ample supply of food which the 5th had been obliged to leave behind. The Germans were most appreciative of their windfall. By the time the battle concluded the 5th had lost 8 officers and 295 ORs, but they won 2 DSOs, 4 MCs, 2 DCMs, and 10 MMs.

They went into Reserve for the winter of 1917/18 around Béthune but had to move south rapidly when the German Spring Offensive began on the 21st March. However despite coming under occasional attack their role was primarily defensive and they were able to return to Reserve on the 29th March”.

Although the above account describes the period of Percy’s death as being relatively quiet, John Chapman again provides an account of Percy’s final days:

27th March 1918

At 00.30 on the 27th an attack appeared to be developing from the north from Mesnil. One platoon was sent out to cover the Mesnil Road The rest stood to arms, and at 02:00 two companies were sent to help the 37th Brigade which was being attacked. Germans were now seen marching in a column of fours by the Mesnil-Martinsart Road.

The platoon on the road let them come within two hundred yards before opening on them witl. rifles and Lewis guns. Several were seen to fall, and the rest hastily deployed on either side of the road. At this moment there arrived on the scene a battalion of the 63rd (Naval) Division which chased the Germans back towards Mesnil. Reading Mercury: At 1.30 on Wednesday March 27th the Germans attacked from Mesnil, but he was held up and dispersed by C Company. The Royal Naval Division were at the other end of the village and by a successful counter-attack by the naval men the enemy was driven through Aveluy Wood back to the railway line.

At 03:00 one of the two companies supporting the 37^thBrigade was sent

through Aveluy Wood to mop up any Germans in it, and generally clear up the situation. They met none of the enemy. Reading Mercury: At 9.30 am it was reported that Jerry was coming in force. The battalion took up pre-arranged positions and B Company had to bear a heavy weight of attack. The enemy penetrated in force in front of the Berkshires, butthe men of the royal county splendidly held their ground and gave him a hot reception. At 11:00, as a heavy barrage was seen to be falling on Aveluy Ridge, the battalion stood to, the two right companies occupying battle positions S.E. of Martinsart. The 35th Brigade was reported to be counter-attacking.

At 11 am A Company who were reinforced made a counter attack on Aveluy Wood, thus relieving the pressure. At noon the right battalion of the 36th Brigade was attacked. The two Berkshire Companies S.E. of Martinsart were reinforced by the other two and the O.C. 5th Royal Berkshire decided not to return to Martinsart. Between 15:00 and 16:00 the battalion was ordered to face south, as an attack was expected from that direction.

A Company was sent forward to clear up the situation in a gap between the 9th Royal Fusillers and the 7th Royal Sussex. It advanced till held up by machine-gun fire from the direction of Aveluy, in front of which the enemy now was. The company commander was killed, and there were a score of other casualties in the company. The battalion commander now placed the other companies with D on the right front in touch with the Northamptonshire Pioneers, C on the left, and B in reserve in Martinsart Wood south of the village. At 17:00 came a strong attack from the direction of Aveluy, which forced the left battalion of the brigade to retire; A Company conforming to its movement. Two platoons of C, on the left, being outflanked, also had to fall back, whilst the other two platoons and D held on and inflicted severe losses on the enemy by their fire on his flank. The retirement ceased on the line of the ridge one hundred or two hundred yards S. of Martinsart, where a strong line was formed and dug in. After dark strong patrols were sent out to reconnoitre, and by 21:00 the position occupied before the retirement had been reestablished. The O.C. 5th Royal Berkshire now, after consulting the O.C. 9th Royal Fusiliers, posted his battalion thus The right company was in touch with the left of the Northamptonshire Pioneers and the right of the left company, which in turn joined up with the right of the 9th Royal Fusiliers. The other two companies were in support at Martinsart.

Reading Mercury: “About 6.30 pm C and D Companies were strongly assailed and

with the troops in front withdrawing again, the Berkshires eventually became the front line troops, but the thin khaki line held; the ridge above the sunken road near the battalion headquarters being held with all possible troops. The men dug themselves in, the officers meanwhile walking up and down encouraging them, their revolvers in one hand and perhaps a bit of army biscuit in the other. It was a critical time and a few elements of the Berkshires were forced back, but the remainder held on firmly”.

In the heavy fighting Capt George Gordon Paine was severely wounded, succumbing three days later and 2nd Lieut S Matthews was killed. Lt J S Noble was also badly hit and he died on April 2nd.

To read of the 5th Battalion’s other actions and the complete story of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, please go to www.purley.eu

Service Record

PHILLIPS, PERCY OWEN

Rank: Private

Service No: 12808

Date of Death: 27/03/1918

Regiment/Service: Royal Berkshire Regiment, 5th Bn.

Panel Reference Panel 56 and 57.

Memorial POZIERES MEMORIAL

Known Residence

9 Whitley Street, Reading Berkshire
12 Norris Road, Reading

Family Tree (click on the blue words)

[iframe_loader width=”750″ height=”750″ frameborder = “1” longdesc=’ ‘marginheight=’0′ marginwidth=’0′ name=’ ‘click_words=’ ‘click_url=’ scrolling=’yes’ src=’http://wokinghamremembersco.ipage.com/Family trees/Phillips Percy’]