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Name : Walter Phillips, served as Waterford Phillips. Son of James Phillips and Pamela Elizabeth Phillips (née Williams), of Whippingham, Isle of Wight. Born 1865, Cross Lanes, Whippingham. Married 22 Sep 1894, Matilda Blanche Tranter, St Paul's Church, Barton. Children : Gertrude Matilda (born 1895); Beatrice Lillian (born 1903). |
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Census Information :
1871 : James and Elizabeth Phillips, with their children including Walter aged 5, are at Tuines Hole, Barton (Whippingham parish). James Phillips is a Labourer. 1881 : James and Elizabeth Phillips, with their children including Walter aged 5, are at Cross Lanes "Locks Corner", Barton (Whippingham parish). James Phillips is a Farm Labourer; Walter Phillips is a Farm Boy. 1891 : Walter Phillips not found - presumed to be on Army service. His family is still at Cross Lanes, Barton. 1901 : Walter Phillips (aged '30'), with his wife Matilda and daughter Gertrude, are at Summers Lane, Totland. Walter Phillips is a General Labourer (Builders); Matilda Phillips is a Laundress. 1911 : Walter Phillips (aged '43'), with his wife Matilda and daughters, are at 1 Westfield Cottage, Freshwater. Walter Phillips is a Bricklayer Labourer. |
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Service details : Walter Phillips, served as Private 816 Waterford Phillips, 4th Bn. Australian Infantry Force. He gave his age on enlistment as 36; he was 5 ft 4 in tall, with a ruddy complexion, brown eyes and black hair. Previously served as : Private 656 Walter Phillips 1st Bn Dorset Regiment, (1883 to 28 July 1891) Private 7753 Walter Phillips, Royal Garrison Regiment, (15 Dec 1903 to 1 August 1905 - discharged with a bounty of £31.) |
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| Casualty Details :
Died : between 6 Aug and 9 Aug 1915 aged 50. Commemorated at Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli. CWGC record ... Australian War Memorial record ... |
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Commemorated on these Memorials :
Freshwater Parish War Memorial |
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Documents and Newspaper cuttings :
Isle of Wight County Press
October 9, 1915 THE ISLAND AND THE WAR ISLAND CASUALTY LIST MISSING ... Pte W. Phillips, 4th Infantry, Australian Expeditionary Force (Freshwater) FRESHWATER FRESHWATER - AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER MISSING Mrs Phillips, of 1 Oak Cottages, Tennyson-road, has received official intimation that her husband, Pte Walter Phillips, serving with the Australian Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli, has been missing since August 6th, and no news of him has since been received. Much sympathy is felt with Mrs Phillips in her anxiety. Her husband is well known at Freshwater. He emigrated to Australia nearly three years ago, and joined the Australian Forces immediately war broke out. He took part in the famous landing operations at Gallipoli, and, after being in action three days, was wounded in the arms and legs and sent back to Egypt. After three months in hospital he returned to the fighting line, and had only been back a short while when the severe fighting took place, after which he was missing. The Australian War Memorial Circular gives his next of kin as Mrs Matilda Blanche Phillips of 1 Oak Cottage, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, and states that he had previously served with the 1st Dorset Regiment and had served in the African War. Copies of correspondence between Mrs Phillips, and the Australian Red Cross Society, are also available on the A.W.M. website. See Australian Red Cross records. Walter Phillips' death left Mrs Phillips in some financial hardship, as can be seen from this letter, addressed to Miss Ward, of the Ward family in Cowes : 
The Miss Ward who is being written to here, is believed to be Miss Emily Ward who died in 1926, a sister of the Edmund and Wilfrid who were successive heirs to the Ward estate. From the information in the letter it seems likely that it was written in the early months of 1916. click on images to enlarge; for ease of reading, one image has been duplicated and rotated |
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Acknowledgments :
Ken White for additional information. Walter Phillips was his great great uncle, his great grandmother being Walter's sister Kate Phillips (1872 - 1953). Richard Smout of the Isle of Wight County Record Office, for the images of Mrs Phillips' letter to Miss Ward. [Held by the IWRO]. Caroline Dudley for newspaper article. |
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Page status :
Page last updated : 12 July 2014 (added newspaper report) |
Memorials & Monuments
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