Private 60197 Henry PHILLIPS

South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One

Private 60197 Henry PHILLIPS - 1st Battalion, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Killed in Action on Monday 1st September 1919 aged 19

Military History


Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
Russia	British War & Victory Medals	Archangel Allied Cemetery (Ust-Vaga Burial Ground)

Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
May 26th 1919 in Archangel, Russia	~	Leek Wootton

Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Russian Campaign - 1919	April 1916 in Warwick	~

Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Ust Vaga, Russia	9th Bn, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Formation of Unit in Russia

In May 1919 a company for service in Russia was formed at Aldershot consisting of 6 Officers and 194 Other Ranks, under the Command of Captain A.J. Peck. It was attached as B Company to the 1st Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry in the 288th Special Brigadeof the North Russian Relief Force under Major-General Grogan V.C.

Circumstances of Death

Henry is listed as being killed in action on 1 Sep 1919. The following account of the events that led to his death is an extract from the book "The Story of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment by Charles Lethbridge Kingsford and the events of the 1 Sep 1919 are taken from the Light Bobs website which details the history of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry.

Book Extract detailing events Leading up to 1 Sep 1919

The Company [see above] sailed from Southampton on May 12 and reached Archangel on May 26. There on 8 June they embarked on launches which took them over 100 miles up the River Dvina, and so to the front line on its tributary the Vaga. Captain Peck had command on the right bank of the Vaga, his company having to defend the villages of Seltso, Koslovo and Nisnaya Kitsa. The Bolshevik Lines were at some distance, and the constant making of long patrols, with the aid of hopelessly inaccurate maps, was an arduous task.

In one such patrol on June 10 under Lt. Dibben our men had to march three and half hours, and then could not get at close quarters, since the position was heavily wired; still when they opened fire on the blockhouse the enemy bolted.

Though there was only occassion fighting, the campaign was trying. The force was far from its base, and the enemy in front was much superior in numbers. A long line had to be guarded, and threatened attacks, even when they did not materialise, entailed constant watchfulness and labour on the defences. Often the weather was extremely hot which meant swarms of mosquitos. In the summer seaso`n the river ran dry, so that stores could only be brought up with difficulty. When the rains set in and the river began to rise, it turned cold and the the trenches were flooded.

The company was six months in Russia, but circumstances made it impossible to secure any adequate result, and the expedition was withdrawn in November before the winter.

Light Bobs Account of 1 Sep 1919

September 1st was an exciting day, and what might have proved a most awkward situation was converted into a severe repulse for the enemy.

Ust Vaga (the base of the Vaga Column), with a perimeter of some 5,000 or 6,000 yards, was held by one platoon of C Company, some details of Machine Gunners and Trench Mortars, and H.Q. and one company 3/4th North Russian Rifles, the whole under Major Northcote (Devonshire Regiment).

The Russians were on the perimeter and the British troops were more or less concentrated in reserve.

About 3 a.m. the village was entered by a force of about 200 of the enemy without opposition and from three different points. The leader of the enemy was a local man, and it was afterwards ascertained that he had been in the village for some days arranging matters. The houses in which the British officers and men were known to be were surrounded.

The first evidence of an attack came with the throwing of bombs into the Signal Office guard room, and other rooms known to be occupied, together with the opening of machine-gun and rifle fire on the houses.

The Russian troops took practically no part in the action and disappeared into the woods, and it was left to the small British garrison to deal with the enemy

By 9 a.m. the village was cleared, after hard righting and innumerable exciting personal incidents.

The enemy lost 14 killed and 8 prisoners, besides some 15 wounded which he got away. Our losses were 5 killed, 12 wounded, and 1 missing.

About 9 a.m. the same day the enemy attacked Mala Beresnik in force, but was repulsed at once with considerable casualties. Had we been in a position to counter-attack, we might-have inflicted a a severe defeat on him; as it was we buried 16 dead and took two prisoners, our losses being two men of B Company killed.

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Baptism Date/Place
28 Jan 1900 at Morton Morrell	8 Jul 1890 at Moreton Morrell

Parents Names	Abode
William and Ann Phillips	Hill Wootton, Warwick

Schools	Colleges
	~

Address History	Employment History
1900 - Moreton Morrell	1911 - School
1901 - Village, Hill Wootton	1915 - Not yet established
1911 - Leek Wootton
1916 - Hill Wootton, Warwick

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