Last month we commemorated those who died during the Battle of Normandy 1944. This month we commemorate a few others who died during 1944, 75 years ago, and are on Queensferry's War Memorial. The remaining 1944 deaths will follow next month.
Corporal Thomas Ley McPhillips of the 23rd Field Company, Royal Engineers,was born in 1907 in Smithsland, Queensferry. His father was a Shale Miner.
Thomas married in Edinburgh in 1940. He was a Bridge Painter at the time, living in Queensferry.
The Battalion participated in the Battle of Anzio, Italy, 22nd January 1944 – 5th June 1944 and this is where Thomas died, on 29th February 1944, age 36.
Thomas is buried in Beach Head War Cemetery, Anzio, Italy. Grave ref: V.H.10 and was awarded the 1939/45 Star and War Medals.
The site of the cemetery originally lay close to a casualty clearing station. Burials were made direct from the battlefield after the landings at Anzio and later, after the Army had moved forward, many graves were brought in from the surrounding country. Beach Head War Cemetery contains 2,316 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 295 of them unidentified.
Among the greatest achievements of the RE’s were the construction and operation of the Mulberry Harbour in its support for the Battle of Normandy 1944. The Mulberry Harbour was built for D-Day in June 1944. The Mulberry Harbour’s purpose was to ease and speed up the unloading process so that Allied troops were supplied as they advanced across France after breaking out from Normandy. The success of D-Day could only be maintained if the advancing troops were supplied and more men landed. The Mulberry Harbour was one of the greatest engineering feats of World War Two.
Thomas's brother Daniel, of the 1st Royal Scots, died in Kohima, Burma, India, in April 1944 aged 27. They lost 3 uncles during WWI, who are commemorated on Queensferry War Memorial.
Thomas married in Edinburgh in 1940. He was a Bridge Painter at the time, living in Queensferry.
The Battalion participated in the Battle of Anzio, Italy, 22nd January 1944 – 5th June 1944 and this is where Thomas died, on 29th February 1944, age 36.
Thomas is buried in Beach Head War Cemetery, Anzio, Italy. Grave ref: V.H.10 and was awarded the 1939/45 Star and War Medals.
The site of the cemetery originally lay close to a casualty clearing station. Burials were made direct from the battlefield after the landings at Anzio and later, after the Army had moved forward, many graves were brought in from the surrounding country. Beach Head War Cemetery contains 2,316 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 295 of them unidentified.
Among the greatest achievements of the RE’s were the construction and operation of the Mulberry Harbour in its support for the Battle of Normandy 1944. The Mulberry Harbour was built for D-Day in June 1944. The Mulberry Harbour’s purpose was to ease and speed up the unloading process so that Allied troops were supplied as they advanced across France after breaking out from Normandy. The success of D-Day could only be maintained if the advancing troops were supplied and more men landed. The Mulberry Harbour was one of the greatest engineering feats of World War Two.
Thomas's brother Daniel, of the 1st Royal Scots, died in Kohima, Burma, India, in April 1944 aged 27. They lost 3 uncles during WWI, who are commemorated on Queensferry War Memorial.
Private Daniel Waddock McPhillips of the 1st Royal Scots, was born in Queensferry in 1916. His Father was a Shale miner.
Daniel died on 17th April 1944 aged 27. He is buried in Kohima War Cemetery, Burma, India, Grave Ref: 3.B.1 and was awarded the 1939/45 Star and War Medals.
The Japanese advance into India was halted at Kohima in April 1944 and Garrison Hill, a long wooded spur on a high ridge west of the village, was the scene of perhaps the most bitter fighting of the whole Burma campaign when a small Commonwealth force including the Ist battalion Royal Scots, held out against repeated attacks by a Japanese Division. The Battalion’s casualties for April 1944 were fifteen soldiers killed, two officers and thirty-five soldiers wounded and one soldier missing.
Daniel’s brother Thomas of the 23rd Field Company, Royal Engineers, was killed in Italy in February 1944 aged 36. They lost 3 uncles during WWI, who are named on Queensferry Memorial.
© IWM (IND 3465) Image - In spite of difficult monsoon conditions, British and Indian troops have forced the Japanese to withdraw from Kohima and have cleared the entire Kohima-Imphal road of the enemy. Sharp fighting is still continuing as the Allies drive the remaining Japanese from their positions in the surrounding country. This image shows a Japanese road block being hurriedly dismantled by men of the West Yorkshire Regiment within rifle shot of the enemy.
Fusilier Frederick John Colborne of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, was born in Queensferry in 1918. His father was a Tug Master.
The Battalion was part of the, 5th Infantry Division through most of WW2.
Early October 1939 they went to France as one of the independent infantry brigades and were part of the British Expeditionary Force. The 2nd Battalion fought in Persia (now Iran) and Iraq (1942-43), and Sicily and Italy (1943-44), including the Battle of Anzio (1944) during the latter campaign - Operations in January 1944 landed troops behind the German lines at Anzio, but defences were well organised, and a breakthrough was not actually achieved until May. In February 1945, it deployed to North West Europe to take part in the invasion of Germany.
Frederick died on 17th April 1944 aged 25. He is buried in Beach Head War Cemetery, Anzio, Grave ref: X.H.8.
The site of the cemetery originally lay close to a casualty clearing station. Burials were made direct from the battlefield after the landings at Anzio and later, after the Army had moved forward, many graves were brought in from the surrounding country. Beach Head War Cemetery contains 2,316 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 295 of them unidentified.
Sergeant Wireless Op. /Air Gunner James Shoolbread, of the 36th Squadron Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was born in Ardrossan in 1915. His parents later moved to Queensferry. He married in Rosyth in 1941, recorded as an Insurance Agent involved in War Service as a Wireless Operator in the Royal Air Force, living in Queensferry.
James died, on 4th March 1944 aged 28, while on convoy escort duty in Algeria on board a Wellington/14-F26-HF265. The plane crashed near the drome due to low cloud and the entire crew of 6 men were killed.
He is buried at Dely Ibrahim War Cemetery, Algeria, Grave Ref: 4.C.8.
He was awarded the 1939/45 Star and War Medals.
When war broke out in 1939 the Air Ministry employed the RAFVR as the principal means for aircrew entry to serve with the RAF. A civilian volunteer on being accepted for aircrew training took an oath of allegiance ('attestation') and was then inducted in to the RAFVR. Normally he returned to his civilian job for several months until he was called up for aircrew training. During this waiting period he could wear a silver RAFVR lapel badge to indicate his status.
By the end of 1941 more than half of Bomber Command aircrew were members of the RAFVR. Most of the pre-war pilot and observer NCO aircrew had been commissioned and the surviving regular officers and members of the RAFO filled the posts of flight and squadron commanders. Eventually of the "RAF" aircrew in the Command probably more than 95% were serving members of the RAFVR.
Dely Ibrahim War Cemetery contains 494 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War and 11 war graves of other nationalities. There are also 25 non-war graves, mostly of merchant seamen whose deaths were not due to war service.
© Queensferry History Group 2019