The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Lance Corporal A J Philpott

Lance Corporal Alfred John PHILPOTT, L/9935, 2nd Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, died of diarrhoea, at Yarbache, Turkey, whilst Prisoner of War, Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force, 29th August 1916, age 20.

6th September 1896, born Bermondsey, Surrey, son of George Holtaine & Florence Edith Philpott, of 22 Parson Street, Lewisham, SE / 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey, London.

10th August 1898, St Crispin, Bermondsey, baptism of Alfred John Philpott, son of George Holtaine, (labourer), & Florence Edith Philpott, 4 Lucey Road.

10th August 1898, St Crispin, Bermondsey, baptism of George Holtaine Philpott, (born 4th January 1895), son of George Holtaine, (labourer), & Florence Edith Philpott, 4 Lucey Road.

1911 Census - 85 Taunton Road, Lee Green, SE - George Philpott, head, age 37, married, engine driver & stoker, stationary, biscuit manufacturer, worker, born Sheppards Bush, London; Florence Philpott, wife, age 35, married 17 years, 10 children, 9 still alive, born Bermondsey, London; George Philpott, son, age 16, single, errand boy, fishmongers, worker, born Bermondsey, London; Alfred Philpott, son, age 14, errand boy, grocers, worker, born Bermondsey, London; Henry Philpott, son, age 11, school, born Camberwell, London; William Philpott, son, age 8, school, born Deptford, London; Violet Philpott, daughter, age 6, school, born Deptford, London; Charles Philpott, son, age 5, school, born Rotherhithe, London; Ernest Philpott, son, age 4, born Rotherhithe, London; Albert Philpott, son, age 2, born Rotherhithe, London; Mary Philpott, daughter, age under 1 month, born Lee Green, London;

Enlisted New Cross, Kent, age 18 years & 11 months, height 5ft 4¼ inches, weight 120lbs, mole above left breast & abdomen & left shoulder, scar left cheek. Formerly carman.

Allotment of Pay of 4/8 a week payable to mother.

Home, 26th August 1912 to 20th October 1913; India, 21st October 1913 to 1st February 1915; MEF, 2nd February 1915 to 29th August 1916.

26th August 1912, enlisted & posted Depot, Royal West Kent Regiment; 3rd November 1912, Maidstone, overstaying his pass from 12.00 midnight till 8.20am 4th November 1912, deprived one days pay, forfeits one days pay; 15th November 1912, 2nd Class Certificate of Education; 11th December 1912, posted 1st Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 7th April 1913, having an untidy cot, 3 days confined to Barracks; 22nd October 1913, posted India & 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 28th November 1914, appointed unpaid Lance Corporal; 21st July 1915, appointed paid Lance Corporal; 24th July 1915, Nasiriyah, wounded in action, gun shot wound, right buttock; 29th July 1915, Basrah, admitted to hospital; 20th September 1915, discharged from Hospital; 28th September 1915, Basrah, admitted to hospital, malaria; 11th October 1915, discharged from Hospital; 1st December 1915, admitted to hospital, malaria; 2nd December 1915, transferred to 3A British General Hospital, Kut al Amara; 29th April 1916, Kut al Amara, taken Prisoner of War.

7th December 1917, War Office memo - With reference to the enclosed correspondence a report dated 17th December 1916 was received from No.6529, C. S. Major Crisford, 2/Royal West Kent Regiment, Prisoner of War at Ismidt to the effect that No.9935 L/C Philpott with a number of other men of the same battalion was dead. No particulars of the circumstances of death were given, but from the wording of the letter it was concluded that the information was reliable. Notification was accordingly sent to the Officer in Charge of Records that the report was accepted for official purposes the date of death being taken "between 29.4.16 and 17.12.16". It subsequently transpired that some of the men reported by Crisford as dead were actually alive; the memorandum of which the annexed is a copy was accordingly forwarded to the Officer in Charge of Records on 22.06.1917. The communications asked for in the last paragraph of that memorandum were duly obtained, and an enquiry sent through the Netherlands Government to Turkey to ascertain whether the report of death was confirmed. No reply to that enquiry has yet been received; until such reply or other confirmation is forthcoming, L/C Philpott will not be officially regarded as dead. This should be explained to the Regimental Paymaster if not already done.

August 1918, Ottoman Red Crescent report that Lance Corporal A J Philpott, died at Yarbache, Turkey, 29th August 1916.

28th June 1919, Statement of Relatives - Father, George Philpott, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Mother, Florence Edith Philpott, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Brothers - George Philpott, age 24, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Henry P P Philpott, age 19, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; William T? Philpott, age 17, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Charles Philpott, age 13, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Ernest Philpott, age 12, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Albert Edward Philpott, age 11, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Sisters - Violet Philpott, age 15, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey; Mary Philpott, age 8, 99, Drummond Road, Bermondsey.

Buried at Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, XXI. T. 8., Iraq.

This page was last updated on 16-May-2021.