Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

19 October - 22 November 1914. Following the failure of the German Schlieffen Plan in August and September 1914, both sides engaged in a series of linked battles as they sought to outflank each other. The climax of these manouvres was at Ypres in November 1914 when the might of the German Army attempted to break the much outnumbered British Expeditionary Force. The political importance of Ypres, being the last town of any size in Belgium that remained in allied hands, established its importance for both sides and ensured a series of battles over four years.

The First Battle of Ypres in 1914 is characterised by a series of linked heroic stands by outnumbered British soldiers in conditions of confusion and weary endurance. The Germans never knew how close they had come to winning - at one point just the clerks and cooks were the last line of defence for the BEF. By the end of the battle the magnificent original BEF, composed of professional regular soldiers, had been all but destroyed and already the Territorial battalions were called into battle. From the end of 1914 a 'Regular' battalion was in terms of its compostion little different to a Teritorial or later Service Battalion. The professional soldiers had all but vanished.

Detail :

CAPTAIN THOMAS McCANN PHILLIPS, ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS. Born on the 1st March, 1880, at Damascus, Syria, was the second son of the Rev. John Gillis Phillips, Missionary of the Irish Presbyterian Church in Damascus, and Mrs. Phillips, of Mount Charles, Belfast. He received his early education, first at the Royal Academical Institution, Belfast, then at Trent College, Nottingham and afterwards at Campbell College, Belfast, playing in the Schools' Cup team of 1897-98. Subsequently he was a distinguished student of Queen's College, Belfast, and graduated M.B. B.Ch. B.A.O, in the Royal University of Ireland in 1906. After qualifying he made a voyage to India as ship's surgeon, and subsequently held a resident appointment at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, where his professional and social qualities were recognised by his colleagues. Having obtained the first place in the open examination in London, he joined the R.A.M.C. in 1907, and was attached to the 8th Hussars, accompanying that regiment to India, where he served five years. He became a Captain in 1911. On the outbreak of the Great War he was at home on leave. He volunteered for service, and after some weeks of duty at home passing recruits for the New Army, he was sent to the front, as he wished, with the 21st Field Ambulance 7th Division. He died on the 4th November 1914. from wounds received by a shell, which also killed Lieutenant Richardson, R.A.M.C. He was taken to a hospital at Ypres, which that night was shelled by the Germans, and he had to be removed to No. 4 Clearing Hospital, arriving there unconscious and expiring soon after. Captain Phillips was mentioned in Sir John French's Despatch of the 14th January, 1915, for gallantry and distinguished service in the field.

Probate PHILLIPS Thomas McCann of 48 Mountcharles Belfast captain R.A.M.C. died 4 November 1914 at No. 4 Clearing Hospital Poperinghe Belgium Administration Belfast to Annie Phillips widow. Effects £353 16s. 3d. in England. Sealed London 11 January.

Masonic :

Thomas was initiated into Hope Lodge No. 243 in Belfast in 1906. He is listed as an M.D. He joined the English Constitution from the Irish on the 22nd of January, 1910 when he joined the Chutter Munzil Lodge No. 3276 at Lucknow, where he was based as a Lieutenant.

He then further joined Lodge Light in Adjoodhia no. 836, at Fyzabad, Bengal on the 26th October, 1912.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley