Lieutenant Edward PHILLIPS — 8th Hussars

Birth & early life

Born on the 22nd of April 1830, the son of Edward Phillips, Esq., of No. 44 Westbourne Terrace, Hyde Park, London, and "The Cedars", Sunninghill, Berkshire.

Service

Cornet in the 8th Hussars: 11th of July 1851.

Lieutenant, 8th Hussars: 24th of February 1854.

Campaign service

Captain Phillips served the Eastern campaign of 1854-55, including the battles of Balaclava (horse shot) Inkerman, Tchernya and the Siege and fall of Sebastopol. (Medal and three Clasps and the Turkish Medal.)

He had been sick with intermittent fever from the 10th of August and because of this was sent to Varna when the regiment embarked for the Crimea proper.

He finally sailed on the 24th of September aboard the "Rip Van Winkle".

He led a troop in the Charge, the Regimental History stating that:

"The Russian Lancers attacked Lieutenant Phillips, whose horse was killed on the return, defended himself and Private Brown [887 John Brown] who was disabled in both hands.

Phillips kept them off with his revolver for some time, and when the Russians were at last called off by their officers both he and Brown made good their escape."

Phillips himself makes no reference to this incident in his diary.

Captain, 8th Hussars 1st of August 1856.

[CHECK he want overland to India 1857.]

He served in Rajpootana in 1858-59 and was present at the capture of Kotah and commanded a squadron in Brigadier Honner's pursuit of the rebels and at their defeat at Koorshana. (He was mentioned in despatches, Medal and Clasp.)

Retired, by the sale of his commission, on the 11th of May 1860.

He was Adjutant of the Ayrshire Yeomanry Cavalry from the 30th of March 1861 to his retirement on the 29th of April 1873, when he was placed on a "Retired Allowance".

He filed an affidavit in the Cardigan-Calthorpe lawsuit on the 2nd of June 1863

He attended the Balaclava Officer Survivor's Dinner at the Cavalry Club in October of 1893.

On the 25th of September 1861, he married, at Longwardine Church, Herefordshire, Minnie, the daughter of J.C. Freeman, Esq., of Rockfield, Monmouthshire.

[PB, Jan 2014: His letters from the Crimea have been collected and published along with those of Edward Rowe Fisher-Rowe, Thomas Hutton and Fiennes Wykeham Martin in Crimean Cavalry Letters, edited by Glenn Fisher, Army Records Society, number 31, published Stroud: The History Press for the Army Records Society, 2011. 8vo. vii + 336 pp.]

Medals & commemorations

Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol, the Turkish Medal and the Mutiny medal with clasp for Central India.

Towards the end of his life, by which time there were very few survivors of the Charge, he was feted throughout the world, as shown in this item from Sydney, Australia (1913):

(Click on image to enlarge)

FIFTEEN BALACLAVA SURVIVORS

Reduced by one by the recent death of Lord Tredegar, the following are now the survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade:

Sir George Wombwell, 17th Lancers.
Major Phillips [8th Hussars]
Alderman Kilvert, 8th Hussars [actually, 11th Hussars]
J Mustard, 17th Lancers
T. Boxall, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
J. Whitehead, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
H. Wilsden, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
J. Olley, 4th Hussars [formerly 4th Light Dragoons]
W.S.J. Fulton, 8th Hussars
J. Parkinson, 11th Hussars
T. Warr, 11th Hussars
G. Gibson, 13th Hussars [formerly 13th Light Dragoons]
E. Hughes, 13th Hussars [formerly 13th Light Dragoons]
W. Ellis, 11th Hussars
W.H. Pennington, 8th Hussars [actually, 11th Hussars]

[Source: Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW), 20 April 1913 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/126459695 (accessed 15.2.2014) [PB].]

Death & burial

He died at "Hillcroft", Marlborough Avenue, Reading, on the 18th of April 1915, aged 84 years, one of the four surviving officers (and the last officer of the 8th Hussars) who had ridden in the Charge.

He was buried in St. Peter's churchyard at Earley, near Reading, on the 22nd of April 1915.

His gravestone in St. Peter's churchyard at Earley is inscribed:

"'In loving memory of Mary Ann, wife of Major Edward Phillips, who fell asleep February 27th 1882, aged 54.'

I know who I have believed in and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day.

'Also of Elizabeth Frances, their fifth daughter, who died June 13th 1886, aged 9 years and 6 months.'

He shall gather the lambs with his arms and carry them into his bosom.

'Also of Major Edward Phillips, 8th Royal Hussars, who entered into rest, April the 8th 1915, in his 85th year.'

His servants shall serve him and they shall see his face."

Extracts from the "Reading Mercury" for Saturday the 24th of April 1915:

"In Memoriam — Major Edward Phillips.

A good man and a brave soldier has been summoned home — one whose memory the nation at large will hold in high esteem — Major Edward Phillips, formerly of the King's Royal Irish Hussars.

He was one of the very last survivors who led the gallant "Six Hundred" into the valley of death and he lived to a great age and was gathered to his fathers, lamented, loved, and honoured.

He had nearly completed 85 years of age and for over 40 years he had resided amongst us, though of late he has been confined to his house, a confirmed invalid.

The end came painlessly and peacefully, early on Sunday morning, and he is at rest.

The Crimean War saw not all of his services to his Queen and Country. With his regiment, he subsequently took part in the Indian Mutiny campaign and was mentioned in despatches.

Subsequently he was Adjutant of the Ayrshire Yeomanry, retiring in 1874. For some 40 years he had resided either in Earley or Reading.

Throughout his long career, Major Phillips was an inspiration for a good and useful life and, until enfeebled by illness, was an inspiration to all.

Active in benevolent and evangelistic work and a warm supporter of the C.M.S., he will be greatly missed.

He was singularly modest, and even reticent in speaking of his military service.

Emerging absolutely unscathed from the ride into the valley of death, and in other actions, his head was indeed covered in the day of battle.

Amongst us he lived a useful and Christian life, and he passed to his rest with an earthly record of which his family and friends may well be proud."

The interment took place on the afternoon of Thursday the 22nd. (which would have been the 85th birthday of the deceased) at St Peter's, Earley, the grave being on the south-east of the church — in the presence of a very large congregation.

On the coffin were the Union Jack and the sabre of the deceased. At the close of the service the buglers of the Berkshire's sounded the "Last Post".

[Then followed a long list of floral tributes, amongst them being one from the 8th Hussars and 'With sincere regrets, from his old comrade, Captain Percy Smith, late 13th Hussars.' ]

He has four sons living, one of whom is His Majesty's Consul at Shanghai, and five daughters.

In his early years he was a keen sportsman and was Secretary of the Prestwick Golf Club.

Of late years he was a member of the congregation of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Castle Street, Reading."

In his will he left his estate of £4,012 to his son, John Charles Henry Phillips.

Further information

Extract from his diary, relating to his experiences during the Charge:

"We advanced at a steady trot, and soon to a faster pace, but we had not gone two hundred yards before the guns on our flanks (our left and right) opened fire with shell and round shot.

Two regiments of infantry drawn up on the right under the guns began firing volleys of Minie balls and almost at the same time the guns at the bottom of the valley opened up with grape.

In spite of this awful fire, we galloped over ground strewn with the men of the first line, and over our own, dropping at every yard.

Every sound was there, the bursting of the shells, the deep crash of the round shot as they struck the ground, and the whistling of the Minie balls and grape shot.

We passed the infantry, the guns on our left and right, and approached the guns at the bottom of the valley, which the first line had charged in the midst of a fire that swept the men down by dozens and carried off nearly all the officers.

We charged right through them, thus opening the way for the remnant of the first line, now quite broken up by their losses.

As soon as we charged through the Lancers opposed to us, another lot were sent at an angle to cut us off and thus from the awful fire when advancing and now charging, we had suffered immense loss, there were not sufficient of us left to charge them and of course everyone made his way back through the same awful fire as before.

However any one of us escaped the storm of shot and shell and bullets is miraculous.

On our return up the valley only forty-four men turned up out of one hundred and four.

I had not gone far when I felt my mare begin to flag and presently I think she must have been hit in the legs by a second shot, as she suddenly dropped behind, and fell over on her side.

I extricated myself as quickly as possible and ran for my life, the firing behind me being as hard as ever.

After some time I found myself cut off by some Lancers who had got to my front. I felt sure my time had come: I drew my revolver, but seeing as they kept their distance until an officer came up, he ordered them back, as they were too far in advance. So I escaped this danger.

Some little distance on I reached one of our poor fellows lying on the ground, dead or dying, his horse standing beside him; the saddle had turned round, and what with the excitement and running for my life, I was so done up that I had not the strength to right it.

I therefore undid the girth and standing on the saddle, managed to climb on to his bare back.

Never was I so happy as when I felt a horse under me again."

Life after service

Death & burial