i do hope I am posting this in the right place. I am trying to follow the info in a Pay Book which isn't very informative. The book gives his name Patrick Mannix Phillips, army number 6462931 and enlistment date of 11.5.39 into the T.A. but no entry as to where he enlisted. He was discharged from the Army Catering Corps in 1945 after being dropped into Arnhem and taken prisoner but it also states that he previously served in The Royal Fusiliers. I do know that he was in North Africa from 30/10/42 to 4/7/44. However how can I find out what he was doing with The Royal Fusiliers and when? I am awaiting his records but trying to glean information in the meantime.
Hi, IMHO you would be best served by waiting for his service papers to arrive from Glasgow - it only takes a month from the date of submission to receive them. You will get full chapter and verse from those documents but could post them on the forum if they raise any questions. Once you know which Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers he served in you could search for the war diary at Kew. At the moment all members could do is give you a speculative response... Regards Steve Y
Steve I am sure you are right and I am just being impatient. Any speculation in the meantime would be welcome though! Regards Barb 20
If this is your man P. M. Phillips 21st April 1921 to 4th Oct, who lived 37 Neal St WC2 in 1945. And Married Mary Woods in 1947. According to a public family tree on Ancestry he was actually a POW from 1942. Name: P M Phillips Rank: Private Army Number: 6462931 Regiment: Army Catering Corps POW Number: 117509 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: XI-B Camp Location: Fallingbostel, Lower Saxony Record Office: Army Air Corps and Army Catering Corps Record Office, Drill Hall, East Claremont St., Edinburgh 9 Record Office Number: 41
Is it possible to put up some scans of the book? Usually it's frustratingly difficult to extract a great deal of information but sometimes bits jump out, POWs often got issued replacement books when liberated which were very sparsely filled in (if this one doesn't have place of enlistment for example im guessing it's one of these replacements but I could be wrong) Thanks Alistair
That's my man RCG. Thanks. You are right too Alistair, the Pay Book is a replacement and it says the original was destroyed in fire due to enemy action. I would find it difficult to scan as I only have my I-pad at present but could type any relevant pages if it would be useful? Thanks for your time. Barb
There is a museum in fallingbostel run by my ex staff sergeant, Kevin Greenhalgh. Search online for fallingbostel military museum and get in touch with him. He may well have records there for that person. Alex.
The POW number 117509 is almost certainly from the Arnhem Prisoners period. He may have been captured in N.Africa - Italy and escaped? Do you know which unit he was attached to in the 1st Airborne Division?
Findmypast has him as missing then confirmed POW 25 September 1944, if anyone has his liberation questionnaire (if it exists) it may help confirm this and possibly give the unit he was attached to. No problem on lack of scans, as a replacement it probably won't reveal much Alistair
Thank you all so much for the recent posts - Alex, Alastair, Dave and RCG. Firstly let me say that I will most definitely contact Kevin Greenhaigh and the link to the museum was helpful. Secondly I do have a copy of his Liberation Questionnaire and so I know his unit was ACC ATT 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment 1st Airborne Division and he was captured at Arnhem on 21st September 1944. The camps he was in are Stalag X1B, 3A, 11A, Annaburgh. He was in a working camp GR DUNGEN (Sugar Beet Factory) but I have been unable to find anything about this. I also know that he was in North Africa prior to Arnhem and attended two Cooks courses - one from 8.11. - 17.12.40 and the other from 9.5 - 23.5.42. but what I can't find out is who he was with in North Africa between 1942 - 1944 as his replacement Pay Book is sparse on detail and merely says he served in The Royal Fusiliers - Service with the Colours 6 years 77 days. Total service 6 years 191 days. I guess I will have to be patient and wait to receive his full Service Records.
Home There's a contact sheet on the museum home page and also Kevin's number. If you're on facebook I'd say find the museum page and contact him that way. Any probs get back to me! Alex.
I saw Kevin a few years ago when i was visiting my son Germany and he could only refer me to a POW book when i asked about my uncle. So don't be too disappointed if he doesn't have any clues for your search.
Hi Alex Just to keep you informed, I have sent a private FB message to Kevin G and hope he picks this up as I didn't want to give out details to all and sundry. Will keep you posted. Barb
Barb, my Arnhem records show Private Patrick M Phillips being Attached to the 2nd Parachute Battalion and captured at Arnhem on 21 September 1944. The date of capture suggests he was almost certainly captured in the Arnhem Bridge area in the final hours of the fighting there. He was wounded at the time of his capture. His address at the time is recorded as Longacre WC2 London. As already recorded he was held at Fallingbostel.
Good afternoon Barb, Exact names and numbers are difficult to pin down and various people have estimated the numbers at different times ...... that's a roundabout way of saying not everyone will agree with me! But I'm running with the following:- 1st Parachute Brigade HQ 110 Men, 2nd Parachute Battalion 340, 3rd Parachute Battalion 45 ( all C Co), Glider Pilots 17, Royal Engineers 1st Para Squadron 75, RE 9th Squadron 30, REME 5, Reconnaissance Corps 8, Jedburgh 2, Public Relations 1, Corps of Military Police 4,, 89th Field Intelligence 4, RAOC 6, RASC (3 Platoon) 40, Royal Artillery -Ist Airlanding Light Regt 12,, 1st Airlanding Anti Tank Battery 40, Total 739 The 2nd Para men did not include any of the C Company personnel as they were halted west of the Arnhem Railway Station. Graham
