West Berkshire War Memorials

Private 21617, William Arthur Phillips, 11th Battalion, Army Cycle Corps

William Arthur Phillips is the name recorded on the war memorial and roll of honour in Bradfield and, indeed, in the register of births, however, his military records have him as Arthur William – including the entry “I Arthur William Phillips do solemnly declare etc., signed William Arthur Phillips”. Leading to the suspicion that may have been known as Arthur, rather than William – however, to avoid further confusion I will refer to William in this story.

William was born in Bradfield in 1899, the son of Charles, a coachman, and Charlotte née Palmer. In 1901 the family were living in Rotton Row, a hamlet within Bradfield parish, presumably Charles was in settled employment with one of the wealthy local residents. By 1911 he had moved with the times and had become a chauffeur rather than a coachman, presumably for the same employer as they were still in Rotton Row.

William also went into domestic service, moving from Bradfield to find employment as an indoor servant at Standen Manor near Hungerford. His employer, Charles Butler, was to lose two of his own sons (Charles and Eric) in the war, both are commemorated on the Hungerford War Memorial.

When William enlisted in May 1917 he was still under 18, suggesting that he volunteered before he was drafted, presumably in order to join a specific regiment rather than trust to luck and the draft board.  He certainly went for a prestigious unit, the Corps of Hussars though he ended up in the Bucks Yeomanry rather than the regular cavalry (regimental number 208946).  It appears that he was not a great success as a cavalryman as, only a few months later, he was ‘compulsorily transferred’ to the Army Cyclist Corps. Five days after the transfer, on 28 March 1918, he embarked on a ship in Southampton bound for France.

He joined the Cyclist Corps on his arrival at Rouen on the 30 March and was posted to the 11th Corps Cyclist Battalion two weeks later joining them in the field on 20 April. A few weeks later, on 23 May the unit, located at the Chinese Camp, Aire, were awoken by the sound of an enemy aircraft overhead and the resultant anti-aircraft fire.  CSM J Gourlay (of A Company) takes up the tale at a court of enquiry:

Gourlay:  “Shortly after midnight on the night of the 22nd 23rd May 1918 I was awakened by enemy aeroplanes. I turned out of bed and went outside my hut and saw a large fire. There was one man there who was trying to put it out. When I arrived at the fire he fell down and turned over on his back. He then appeared to me to be dead. I then discovered a live wire underneath him.”

William Phillips' name on the Bradfield Memorial

The President: “What did you do”?

 

Gourlay: “I awakened the camp at once”.

 

The President: “What happened then?”

Gourlay: “Rubber tubing was obtained, and the wire was taken from underneath him, and the ambulance as sent for.”

The President: “What caused the fire?”

Gourlay: “Hostile aeroplanes were overhead and our anti-aircraft guns were firing. Apparently a portion of one of our shells severed the live wire which was suspended overhead whereupon it fell to the ground and set fire to the dried grass.”

The President: “When  were the medical authorities informed?”

Gourlay: “By telephone whilst the wire was being removed  from under the man.

A second witness (Sgt J A Cheyne) confirms the sequence of events, with the addition of an identification of the deceased – Pte Phillips.

The verdict of the court was that William’s death was an accident.  He was buried in Aire Communal Cemetery in grave II.K.10.  The Commonwealth War Graves Commission adding a little more confusion to his name by recording him as W R Phillips.