Norman Clive PHILLIPS MID

Norman Clive PHILLIPS MID Update Details

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PHILLIPS, Norman Clive

Service Numbers:	2129, Commissioned
Enlisted:	Not yet discovered
Last Rank:	Lieutenant
Last Unit:	51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
Born:	Meningie, South Australia, Australia, 6 December 1889
Home Town:	Bruce Rock, Western Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Labourer
Died:	Bomb wounds to lumbar, 5th Casualty Clearing Station, Crouy-sur-Somme, France, 17 May 1918, aged 28 years
Cemetery:	Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy-sur-Somme Plot II, Row B, Grave 21
Memorials:

World War 1 Service

9 Aug 1916:	Embarked Private, 2129, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Miltiades, Fremantle
9 Aug 1916:	Involvement Private, 2129, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Miltiades embarkation_ship_number: A28 public_note: ''
12 Jan 1917:	Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
27 Jun 1917:	Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
1 Aug 1917:	Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
1 Apr 1918:	Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1)
17 May 1918:	Wounded AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Commissioned, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), Killed in action
8 Nov 1918:	Honoured Mention in Dispatches, Villers-Bretonneux, For reconnaissance work under heavy enemy machine gun fire on night of 24/25 April 1918 south of Villers Bretonneux.

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Biography contributed by Daryl Jones

Son of Robert and Janie Tunbridge PHILLIPS, of Bruce Rock, Western Australia. Native of South Australia.

Biography contributed by Michael Silver

Lieutenant Norman Clive Phillips was severely wounded at about 9.30 pm on 16 May 1918 at Blangy-Tronville, France by a bomb dropped from a German aeroplane.

The 51st battalion was withdrawn on May 13 from the front line after extensive and prolonged involvement in the fighting near Villers-Bretonneux. Lt Phillips had been at the forefront of this fighting and had been recommended for the award of a Military Cross for his reconnaissance work under heavy enemy machine gun fire on the night of 24/25 April during the assault on Villers-Bretonneux

Marching out of the line along the Amiens Road the battalion took up billets in Blangy-Tronville. On the evening of May 16 a group of men were in the back yard of the billet when a plane approached, dropping a number of bombs. One of the bombs expoded amoungst the group, causing casualties to nine.

Amoungst those hit, apart from Lt. Phillips were 723 Sgt. AHS Thorns MM, 2403 Pte. S Littman MM, 3836 Pte. T Askevold, 2742 Pte W McQuade and 2599 Cpl. FC Bowyer.

Lt. Phillips was evacuated to the dressing station by motor ambulance and then to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station located at Crouy-sur-Somme suffering severe wounds to his lower back. Tragically he succumb to these wounds the next day.

Thorns and Littman also died of their wounds.

Lt. Phillips was buried at Crouy British Cemetery.

In November 1918 Lt. Phillips brave actions at Villers-Bretonneux were recognised, not by award of the Military Cross, but by a Mention in Despatches by Sir Douglas Haigh.

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