L/Cpl 57729 Frank Phillis

• Age: 23
• From: Old Radford, Nottingham
• 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

Frank Phillis was born in 1894 in Old Radford, Nottinghamshire and was the son of John Phillis and his wife Caroline (nee Judd) who were married in 1892. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 40, Middleton Street, Nottingham. His father, John, is aged 42, born in Leeds in 1859  is a leather dresser, his mother, Caroline, is aged 35, born in Nottingham in 1866 has no occupation listed. They have four children in the household who were all born in Nottingham; Alfred aged 16, born 1885 is an errand boy, Frank aged 7, born 1894, Dora aged 4, born 1897 and Elsie aged 2, born 1899.

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at 40, Middleton Street, Nottingham. His father, John, is now aged 52 is still employed as a leather dresser, his mother Caroline is aged 45, born 1866 with no occupation shown. They have been married for nineteen years and have had four children of which two had died. Frank now aged 16 is an apprentice leather finisher and Dora aged 14 is at school.

Frank attested with the Territorials on the 19th January 1911 as Private 149 in the 7th Battalion Notts and Derby (Robin Hood) Regiment. He gave his age as 17 years and half a month, a leather dresser for Hardy and Brewer Co. He was described as being 5'  5 and half inches tall with a 34" chest. He was given preliminary training in January 1911, annual training in July 1911 and August 1912 before transferring to the  Army Cyclist Corps as 418 on the 05th August 1914, a day after war was declared. He was then described as being five eight and half inches tall, fair complexion, blue eyes and light coloured hair. 

Following a transfer, Frank was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Lance-Corporal No 57729 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 23 during the Third Battle of Ypres.

18^th Battalion

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 Lieutenant 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 2^nd August.

He was reported as wounded in the Nottingham Evening Post on the 13th September 1917:

King's Liverpool Regiment - Phillis, 57729, F. (Nottingham);

An In Memoriam notice was published on 07th May 1918 in the Nottingham Evening Post :

“PHILLIS. – Missing July 31st, 1917, now reported died same day, Lance-Cpl. F. Phillis, King's Liverpools, late Robin Hoods, dearly loved and only son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillis, Middleton-street, Radford, aged 23. A noble life sacrificed. – Deeply mourned by sorrowing father, mother, and sister.” 

Frank'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.

Frank is also remembered on St Peter's Street Evangelical Sunday School Church War Memorial, Old Radford.

His mother died, aged 64, in 1930 and was buried on the 8th March.

His father died, aged 75, in the March quarter of 1935.

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