Pte 59572 William Phillips

• Age: 26
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

William Phillips was born in Liverpool on 23rd August 1890 the son of William Phillips and his wife Alice (nee Griffith) who were married on the 05th February 1883 at St Peter's Church, Liverpool. His father was then a 24 year old cooper, his mother was 23 years of age, both were of Vauxhall Road. He was baptised at St. Peter's Church, Liverpool on 01st September 1890. 

The 1891 Census finds the family living at Opie Street, Everton. William is not yet 1 year old. His father is 31 years of age, born in Liverpool in 1860 and is a Cooper by trade, whilst his mother was born in Liverpool in 1862. He has two elder sisters, both born in Liverpool, Alice born in 1886 and Elizabeth born in 1888. There are also two boarders at the property.

His father died of phthisis, aged 40, on the 01st December 1898.

The 1901 Census finds his widowed mother, aged 38, as head of the household. William is now 10 years of age and is living with his two elder sisters, Alice, aged 15 and a tailoress and Elizabeth A. aged 13. Also a younger brother Charles Victor aged 3. There are two boarders and an uncle, Joseph Bold also present in the household. 

His mother died, also of phthisis, aged 36, on the 24th June 1902. 

Phthisis is another name for pulmonary tuberculosis.

The 1911 Census finds William single, age 20, a carter, boarding with his siblings at the property of John Kirby and his family at 30 Wykeham Street, Kirkdale. Mrs Elizabeth Kirby was their mother's first cousin. His future wife Annie and family are living at 9 Copeland Street, Everton Terrace with her married sister Margaret Swinburn and family. Annie is aged 19, a bottle labeller born Liverpool, her widowed father James is aged 62, a warehouse porter born Garston, and her brother William is aged 20, a labourer.  

William married Annie Kirk in January 1913 at St Athanasius Church, Kirkdale. They had three children; William born in the June quarter of 1913, Annie born in the September quarter of 1914 and Alice born in the March quarter of 1916.

Baptism record for Annie in 1914 shows parents William and Annie, of 9 Copeland Street, Everton Terrace, William's occupation is shown to be a carter.

Baptism record for Alice shows parents William and Annie Jane, of 117 Everton Terrace, William is shown as a labourer.   

Prior to enlisting he was employed by George Pitts and Sons Ltd, tanners, 114 North Dingle, Kirkdale. 

William enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 59572 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres, also referred to as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18^th Battalion was part of 21^st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21^st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18^th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2^nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21^st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result  No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90^th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2^nd Lieut Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken.  Not far away from this action,  an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18^th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men wounded. They were relieved on the 02^nd August.

The Liverpool Weekly Courier  reported William as Missing on Saturday 02 March 1918:   

Pte W. Phillips, K.L.R., has been reported missing since 31st July, 1917, any information regarding him will be gladly received by his wife Mrs A. Phillips, 117 Everton Terrace. Previously he was employed by Geo. Pitts and Sons, Kirkdale. 

William's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Belgium. 

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

William was reported missing in the Weekly Casualty List on the 18th September 1917:

King's Liverpool Regiment - Phillips, 59572, W. (Liverpool);

Soldiers Effects, Army Pay of £2 9s 1d and a War Gratuity of £3 to widow Annie and Pension of 26/3 pw to Annie and her three children, William. Annie and Alice.  

Annie was still on the Electoral Roll in 1920 at Everton Terrace with her married sister Margaret Swinburn, but after that the family cannot be found. 

His brother Charles Victor served in the Lancashire Fusiliers and survived the war.

A sad aside is that John Kirby, who took William and his siblings in after their mother had died, was an ARP warden in WW2 and his home at 30 Wykeham Street was bombed during the Liverpool Blitz, unfortunately John was killed inside the house. 

Grateful thanks are extended to Hazel Spring for the biographical information on William and his family and also for her kind permission for us to use William's photograph.

We currently have no further information on William Phillips, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.