Private Ernie Arthur Phillips

531481 A Company, 1/15th Bn., London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles)

At the beginning of the War Ernie was living at 42 Harecurt Avenue, Mannor Park with his parents Arther and Charllotte Phillips and his sister Mabel.

Below are two letters from Ernie to Lionel during their training:

42 Harecurt Ave,

Manor Park,

E.

Dec 13

Dear Lionel

I was very pleased to hear from you and to receive your book of views and glad to hear you have comfortable 'digs'.

I am going to see Wal next Sunday having obtained a free pass. I don't half get the HUMP on Sundays - good job I'm working Saturday nights-eh! I went to the Queens Lineman last and this Sunday.

I wrote off for a Billiard Table last Friday and expect it down next Thursday or Friday (6ft 4ins X 3ft 4ins, 2 cues marker etc).

So there will be fine fun when "Tommy comes marching home again". Have you obtained Xmas leave? I don't know whether Wal has yet.

Well dear boy "Au revoir"

Yours sincerely Ernie

PS Any girls there?

PPS Mabel and Mother wish to be remembered. Please excuse writing as I am in ?????.

42 Harcourt Ave.

Manor Park.

E.

22/12/1914

Dear Lionel,

I hope you are keeping in the best of health. I went down to see Walter Sunday.Leaving Liverpool Street at 10/0 o.c I arrived in Norwich at 1/39. and Wal met me at the station just after two. Well after having a glass of port & a cake we started out for Costessy Hall a 6 mile walk.
By the time we got there and had a look round it was time to start back for Norwich, have some tea and catch the 6/15 train back to London, which arrived there about 10/30. I had a most enjoyable time there and beautiful weather. Have you leave for Xmas? We have our Billard table up,

Yours Ernie

In 1915 Ernie went to Summerset House and enlisted into 'A' Company, 1/15th Bn., London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles) (531481). As Lionel says in a letter to his mother dated 12th July 1915 "Did I tell you Ernie has joined the Army. He is in some crack lot the, 'Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles'. He has had to have his 'lovely' hair off."

Back: Edgar Bigg, Walter Hay
Front: Ernie Phillips, Lionel King
Sunday 18th July 1915
Ernie was transfered to France and went "Missing in Action" on the 15th September 1916 at Highwood during the Battle of the Somme. Below is a letter from Ernie's mother to Lionel's mother after Ernie was reported missing (The year given in the date on the letter is assumed to be incorrect).

42 Harcourt Ave,
Manor Park
Jan: 18th 1916.

Dear Mrs King

Very many thanks for your nice letter. We are all terribly upset over our dear Ernie, for he was a dear good boy, and was loved by everyone who knew him. I knew all the boys would be upset when they knew, I often wish he had gone out to Egypt with them. We are still hoping that he is taken prisoner, and we shall see his dear face when this terrible war is over.

Again thanking you for your letter.

I Remain Yours Truly Mrs Phillips

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Ernie's name is recorded on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France (13C).

Ernie's name recorded on the Thiepval Memorial

The Thiepval Memorial
Ernie's name can be found on the left most column.

Sometime after his death his parents moved to 37, Rancliffe Rd, East Ham.

Private Frank Nye

Frank Nye was born in 1896 to Tom Alexander and Ada Harriett Nye in Forest Gate, London. The 1901 census records Frank living with his parents and siblings at 42 Forest Street, West Ham. His father and mother seemed to run a laundary service from the family home. Frank was the eldest of 4 children, he had a sister Dorothy (2 years younger) and two brothers Harold (3 years younger) and Douglas (6 years younger).

The war started and Frank joined up near the end of 1914 and served in the 6th Essex Regiment. His first placement was Gallipoli where on the 22nd August 1915 he was killed, most probably from a piece of shrapnel. Frank was 20 years old. His name is engraved on the Helles Memorial.

Roll Of Honour

The following list of those who have died for their country has been received this week:-
Private Frank Nye, of the 6th Essex, was killed at the Dardanellies on August 22nd. As an old Whitehall Place schoolboy, he was a general favourite with all; quiet, yet persevering, he was always a boy who could be relied upon in sport as well as work. He was one of the 1908 football team, which went through the whole season without a defeat. Now the whole of that team are playing a nobler game for their King and country. Joining last winter, Nye received his training at Stamford and Norwich, and at the beginning of August he left for the Dardanellies. He stay there was destined to be short, for in the midst of a sharp attack he fell mortally wounded. Our sympathies go out to his many friends and relatives at Forrest Gate.

Stratford Express

Frank Nye is standing at the back.
Sitting at the front is Lionel King and Edgar Bigg

NEWS OF "THE SIXTH"

SHRAPHEL DOESN'T INTEREST HIM NOW.

GREEN SNIPERS

We have received the following letter from Pte. C. Grange, 4238, "A" Company 6th Essex Regiment, British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, dated August 30th:-

Dear Sir, Am sure all our friends and relatives will welcome news from us out here. As you will already have heard, we recieved our baptism of lyddite immedialely on landing, and since then we have had a high old time. It's a curious sort of feeling when one first goes under fire. just imagine that someone is trying to smash you to atoms, and succeeds in killing a pal beside you. well, that is really what happens, so I expect and hope that I shall be forgiven if I say I trembled, and felt like a kid for about four hours. However, the feeling soon wears off, and now shrapnel, etc., doesn't interest me at all, and my comrades cook their meals and chatter just as they did at camp when they were only "Saturday night soldiers." That slur is surely wiped out by the heroism out here. Operations out here are far different, I should imagine, from those in France. The country is every yard a veritable death=trap of ravines and rock. Of course the latter affords spendid cover, and , needless to say, it is where we spend most of our time - and enemy snippers, too. those snippers paint themselves green, pack up enough grub for a month, and prowl round at night and finish up for good about two two days later, through the efforts of some venturesome Australian. The Australians are fine specimens of men. When they shake hands with us we feel as a suckling infant compaired with 'em. they roam aimlessly round the firing line with a rifle slung round their backs. wearing knickers and a slouch hat, fearing nobody, and , strange to say, they seldom get hurt, or anyhow, round our neighbourhood. Well I'm afraid this is getting a bit too much for the censor. Please let our friends in stratford know that we are keeping up the traditions of a fine regiment, though we have suffered somewhat heavily. If anybody at home feels a bit generous, they will greatky aid us by sending the "Stratford Express," or any local news by letter. Acid tablets and cigarettes are as good as machine guns here, so powerful are the results. Well, good luck to all at home, wishing you all luck and success is the sincere wish of yours faithfully,

CON. GRANGE

N.B. - If anyone at home cares to write to me, i shall only be too pleased to correspond if they enclose writing material for a reply.

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Sergt. J. Brady, "A" Company 1-6th Essex, writing from the British Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, says:-

I have much pleasure in informing you that I am still alive, and hope to return to dear old England some day. I shall never forget the first day we went into action. What a sight! Of course we lost some, but thank God not so many as we might have done. We are resting to-day (September 1st), and expect to be in the thick of it again tomorrow, and hope we shall do as well as we did before. We find it differcult to rest during the day on account of the flies, which are a perfect nuisance here, and in the evening we are troubled with snippers, bombs, etc., but are getting quite used to this sort of thing now, but shall be more than pleased when the war is ended, and we return to our wives or parents. God only knows when that will be, but some of us will be spared to tell the tale. I begin to feel a bit seedy now after 24-years service, but must stick it now at any price. all the "boys" (like myself) wish you well, and hope to meet you again. How are Stratford and Forest Gate looking? Good old England. . . We don't have any concerts out here except the mules, which give way to their feelings during the night.