Royal Air Force
According to Corporal Phillpott’s Royal Air Force (RAF) record in the National Archives (AIR 79/604/65748) he was born at All Saints’, Gloucester in 1891. However, a search of the Births, Marriages and Deaths Register indicates that he was born in the second quarter of 1883. His CWGC record indicates his age on date of death was 37, which would confirm the 1883 birth date.
Hubert Frank Phillpott was the son of Frank and Catherine Phillpott and he was down as being an ‘iron driller’ prior to service with the Army. He joined the Army on 7 March 1906 and served in India from 3 October 1906 until 2 November 1910. Following this, he spent the period from 3 November 1910 to 7 April 1911 in Malta. His RAF record shows his Army service was with the 2/4th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, however, the 1911 Census, whilst confirming his presence in Malta, shows him being with the Gloucestershire Regiment. This appears the more likely regiment and a recently released Pension Record Card confirms this: his number was 8161.
After April 1911 it appears that Hubert Phillpott became a Reservist. On 4 August 1913 he married Rose M Grainger in Gloucester; the marriage produced two children. The family lived in Gloucester and Hubert was employed as a labourer.
He returned to military service on 10 March 1917, this time with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), as a 3rd Class Air Mechanic: promotion to 2nd Class followed on 1 May 1917. He was promoted to 1st Class on 1 November 1917 and to Corporal on 1 December 1917.
He served in France from 15 April 1917 and in March 1918 appears to have received a gun shot wound to the head which resulted in treatment at the 3rd General Hospital, Le Treport on the 22nd of that month and at the 1 Australian General Hospital, Rouen on the 30th. Thereafter he was sent to the UK and the Birkenhead Borough Hospital on 3 April 1918. He was soon transferred to the 1st Western Hospital, Fazakerley, Liverpool.
On 1 April 1918 the RFC became part of the newly formed Royal Air Force but it is not clear whether Hubert Phillpott returned to France, following his treatment for wounds. On 3 December 1918 there was a posting to the Armament School, Uxbridge. He had been classified as B2 by a medical board.
On 1 January 1919 he was reclassified as a Corporal Aircraft Hand and on 25 February 1919 was posted to the Chiseldon Dispersal Centre. This was probably a move prior to discharge on 27 March 1919. He died on 7 April 1920. The fact that he was buried in the First World War plot in Gloucester Old Cemetery, with his grave marked by a CWGC headstone, indicates that his death was considered to be service related.
A death notice in the Gloucester Journal of 10 April 1920 confirms his age as 37 and states his address to be 32 Philip Street, Gloucester,
Having been left a widow, with two children, aged, six and three respectively, Rose Phillpott appears to have re-married in 1921.
Researched by Graham Adams 10 May 2014 (revised 6 August 2021)