Frederick William Phillips

Story:
Frederick William Phillips was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset on 6th September 1875 and baptised at St. Johns Church, Enmore Green, Shaftesbury, on 24 Oct 1875 the son of Edward and Edith Phillips. He enlisted in the Dorsetshire Regiment on 17th January 1898 (Service No. S/5650). He served in Malta and India before being discharged as unfit on 29th May 1900. He married Ellen Georgina Padfield in Shaftesbury on 4th August 1902 at Holy Trinity Church, Shaftesbury, and they went on to have nine children. Frederick re-enlisted as a Private in the Dorsetshire Regiment on 24th August 1914 (Service No. 3/7650). He served in the UK only, until he was discharged, again because he was unfit, on 4th October 1916. No medals were recorded. He was issued with an armband which indicated his previous service but no record of any Silver War Badge can be found. The 1921 Census shows him living at 12 Magdalene Lane, Shaftesbury, as a Motor Driver. He went on to become the steward of the local Ex-Servicemen's Club and his address, in the 1939 Register, is shown as 6 Bleke Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset. He died there on 7th January 1942.

Three of Frederick's siblings served in the First World War: Frank (b.1885) with the Wiltshire Regiment and the Royal Field Artillery; Albert Charles (b.1877) with the Dorsetshire Regiment and the South Wales Borderers.The youngest, James (b.1886) died on 21st October 1914 while serving with the Wiltshire Regiment in France.

Source: Based on previous research by Ken Baxter.