Philip Richard Rathbone

Rank 
Rifleman
Regiment 
London Regiment
Date of death 
19 November 1916
Age of death 
21
Local memorial 
Cemetery / Memorial 
Belgium
Biography 

Philip Richard Rathbone was born in St. Pancras, London in 1895. Phillip, known as Dick to his friends and family, was the son of Philip Richard Rathbone who was born in Gloucestershire in 1863. Dick’s mother, Maria, grew up in Blackfriars, the daughter of a market gardener. Phillip moved to London and after marrying Maria in 1892, moved to Hackney.

By 1911 the family were living at 16 Chaucer Road, Wanstead and Philip was a Police Sergeant.

Dick was 18 years old when war broke out he enlisted with the 1st/17th (County of London) Battalion, (Poplar and Stepney Rifles), London Regiment in October 1914.

Dick landed in France on 28th June 1915. His Battalion fought at the Battle of the Somme (1st July - 23rd November 1916) and it was probably whilst fighting in the waterlogged

conditions of the Ancre Valley that Dick was wounded. He did not recover and died of his wounds on the 19th November 1916, aged 21.

The Church archives still hold a very moving letter sent by Dick’s father to the Church fellowship on 1st December 1916.

The letter reads:

Dear Mr Ramsey,

My wife and I tender our most heartfelt thanks to the members of the Congregational Church for their kind message of sympathy in our time of sorrow.

It is indeed a source of great pleasure to us to know that our dear boy was loved, and is remembered by so many.

Not only in his home but, as it appears from the letters we receive wherever he has been, from your Church Primary Department, Bible Class, his first and last employers, his friends at the Front and from the Chaplain of the Hospital in which he spent the last few days of his life on earth we get the same expression of love and sorrow.

This with the knowledge that he is at rest, and that there will be for him no more privation and hardship, such as he has bourne [sic] so cheerfully. Also to know that received his wound doing his duty as he saw it, and to use the words of that good man the Chaplain, was buried with all the honour due to a gallant soldier who died at the Front is a great comfort to us all.

Again thanking you all for your assurances of love for our dear Dick and sympathy with ourselves.

I Remain

Yours very sincerely

P.R. Rathbone

Philip Richard Rathbone’s name appears on the Wanstead War Memorial but his name appears as Richard Rathbone on the Wanstead Congregational Church Memorial.

Research by Wanstead United Reformed Church

Sources:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Ancestry.com