Tag Archives: 1690 Pte. Fred Phillips

On this day 19th August 1916

1 Reply

19.8.1916 BELLACOURT: Enemy shelled village about 12.15 a.m. 17 other ranks wounded, and 1 killed and 1 wounded attached to 139th Trench Mortar Battery.

War Diary [WO/95/2694]

19th: Soon after midnight the enemy the enemy fired a few shells into BELLACOURT which caused 20 casualties – 17 of which were in the 6th 1/2 Reserve Company.

Martinets Wood

The support line close to MARTINETS WOOD (above) was shelled about midday.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

The Casualties4443 Stoppard

4443 Pte Thomas Stoppard a miner from Clay Cross who enlisted in July 1915 and arrived in France with the 6th Reinforcement in March 1916 was killed in action and buried in Bellacourt Military Cemetery in Riviere.

Lizzie Stoppard received a letter from Col Goodwin informing her that her son had been killed in action.

“You must remember that he was a good soldier and has died for his Country. Your son was buried this afternoon in a small cemetery behind the lines. I was present with several Officers and Men of his Company.”

Tom’s Cousin (Q Sergt M Unwin of Chesterfield), was serving in the same Battalion and in a letter home he indicated that Tom lived only minutes after being wounded. Tom had been resting in billets with his comrades when the Germans started shelling the Village.

The men who died of their wounded were:-

3683 Pte. John Arthur Andrews aged 30 and a plate layer from New Whittington. John was the 95th man from New Whittington to be killed. He was the son of Mary Ann Andrews of 142 South St., New Whittington, Chesterfield. and before enlisting he was employed in the pipe shops at Staveley Works. He was 31 years of age and had been in France for about ten months.

2160 Pte. William Hallows aged 19 and a general labourer from Wirksworth.2160 William Hallows

“In comparison with villages of a similar size the village of Middleton-by-Wirksworth has already suffered severely in the number of the soldiers who have given their lives for their country during the present war. This week news has been received that Private William K Hallows died in a casualty clearing station on the 30th August from wounds received the –th of the month. Private Hallows was aged 19 years, single and was mobilised with the Sherwood Foresters (T.F.) on the outbreak of the war and proceed with those to France. At the time of his wounding he was a member of the Lewis gun section and he was shot in the chest and back . . . . . . . . . .”

[THE DERBYSHIRE TIMES, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER, 9th, 1916]

The less severely wounded included the following men of “C” Company:-

  • 4631 Pte. Francis James Eyre a grocers assistant from Eyam.
  • 3239 Pte. Arthur Goodwin a farm labourer from Wirksworth.
  • 4431 Pte. John Grafton.
  • 3099 Pte Nelson Hewitt a moulder from Matlock who suffered a GSW in the arm and was transferred to England and discharged.
  • 1310 Pte. William Hudson a clockmaker from Ashbourne.
  • 4433 Pte. Archie Joel.
  • 4417 Pte. George W Knowles.
  • 3046 Pte. Harold Phillips and transfered to England.
  • 4140 Pte. Richard Rowland.
  • 4619 Pte. Harold Smedley.
  • 4059 Pte. John Wilmot.
  • 1690 Pte Fred Phillips a miner from Staveley who returned to duty on 11th September.

ElliottAlso wounded on this day was 4861 Pte John Thomas Elliott of the 1/5th Battalion.

On these days 20th-28th February 1916

Leave a reply

20.2.1916 – 28.2.1916 PUCHEVILLERS: The Battn provided an average of 360 men per day, with complement of Officers and NCOs for fatigue and working parties under RE on the new line (Sector CANDAS – BELLE EALISE).

War Diary [WO/95/2694]

The Brigade is now quite scattered and out of control since arriving back from MARSEILLES on the 28th of last month, much useful training has been carried out in open fighting, musketry etc more would have been done had we experienced better weather. The latter has been vile – nearly the whole of every Battalion has fired a short course of musketry laid down by Brigade HQRS.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

 Amongst the sick and wounded during this time were:-

  • 1786 Pte. Frank Sydney Baskerville, a fitter from Chesterfield and a Pre-War Territorial, suffered from pyrexia on the 18th February and was transferred to the 46th Divisional Rest Station. He rejoined the 1/6th Battalion on the 23rd February.1786 Baskerville
  • 1690 Pte. Fred Phillips, a miner from Clowne and a Pre-War Territorial in “F” Company, suffered suffered from pyrexia on the 18th February and was transferred to the 46th Divisional Rest Station. He rejoined the 1/6th Battalion on the 24th February and was posted to “C” Company. He had previously been gassed on the 14th October 1915.1690 Phillips
  • 2014 Sergeant Ernest Hallam, a labourer from Chapel-en-le-Frith and a Pre-War Territorial in “B” Company, suffered from multiple boils and was admitted to the 1/3 NMFA and 19 CCS. He rejoined the 1/6th Battalion on the 13th March 1916. He had previously suffered a bullet wound on the 26th May 1915.2014 Hallam
  • 1384 Pte. Frederick Annis Barker, a shoemaker from Stoney Middleton and a Pre-War Territorial in “D” Company, returned to England on the SS “LYDIA” pending discharge on termination of engagement.1384 Barker
  • 1824 Pte Fred Wright, a brickmaker from New Mills and a Pre-War Territorial in “H” Company who had joined the 139th Brigade Machine Gun Company, suffered from enteric fever and was treated in 3 General Hospital before transfer to England. 1824 Wright
  • 2028 Pte Robert Sherwin, a foreman from Buxton and a Pre-War Territorial returned to England on this day for re-enlistment into the Royal Engineers.2028 sherwin