5th (Service) Battalion, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Very few records have survived relating to Private Phillips’ military service.
Alfred John Phillips was born at Oddington in early 1895 and was baptised on 19 January of that year. He was the son of Thomas Richard Phillips (1856-1907), a stockman on a farm and his wife Susanna Caroline (née Beacham: 1863-1928). The couple had five children, born between 1894- 1902): Alfred was the eldest son.
The 1901 Census shows the family to be living in Lower Oddington. Thomas Phillips died in 1907 and the 1911 Census records his widow Susanna as a widow, living in Oddington, with some of her children. Alfred is not one of those named and it has not been possible to identify his whereabout in the 1911 Census records.
In the absence of an Army Service or Pension Record it is not known when Alfred joined the Army or his occupation upon enlistment. He has a Medal Rolls Index Card but it only states entitlement to the Victory and British War Medal (an indicator that he served abroad) in the period 1916-1918 and does not give any date for first posting abroad. It seems likely that he was a conscript, following the introduction of compulsory military service in March 1916.
He appears to have been posted to the 5th (Service) Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. This battalion had been formed in Oxford in August 1914 and became part of 42nd Brigade, 14 (Light) Division, based at Aldershot from February 1915 until it arrived on the Western Front on 21 May 1915.
There is perhaps a small clue as to Private Alfred Phillips fate, contained in a report of his funeral printed in the Gloucestershire Echo of 9 February 1918. It states that he was wounded in the Spring of 1917. The timing coincides with 14th Division’s participation in the Battle of Arras. On 9 April, the opening day, the Division attacked the German lines south of Arras and just north of Neuville Vitasse. On 3 May it attacked the Hindenburg Line south east of Arras and north of Cherisy. The Battalion War Diary entry for 3 May states that the battalion went into the attack with an all ranks strength of 550. At zero hour the enemy put down heavy rifle and machine gun fire from the St Pohart factory and an unmarked trench, which was wired and defended with moderate strength. The Ox & Bucks forced their way into the trench but were unable to make further progress and at 11am strong German counter attack drove the brigade back to the original front line. Private Albert John Phillips could well have been one of the 150 Other Ranks wounded that day (but equally could have been wounded in the 9 April attack).
The above Gloucestershire Echo report states that Private Alfred John Phillips died (on 1 February 1918, aged 23) after ‘many months of patient suffering’. He died at Brooklands Military Hospital, Weybridge, where presumably, he had been taken following his wounding. The nature of his wounds is unknown and a recently released Pension Record Card states only that he died of wounds received in action.
His funeral was held on 6 February 1918 and he was buried in the churchyard of St Nicholas, Oddington, where a standard CWGC headstone marks his grave. He is commemorated on the Oddington (Lower) War Memorial.
Researched by Graham Adams 18 May 2021