Name
Henry Richard Philby/Philbey)
1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/07/1917
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
8785
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DICKEBUSCH NEW MILITARY CEMETERY EXTENSION
III. F. 10.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Memorial Plaque, St Lawrence Church, Bovingdon, Memorial Plaque, Memorial Hall, Bovingdon, Tring War Memorial
Pre War
Henry Richard Philby(Philbey) was born in 1887 in Hawridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire son of Edwin and Charlotte Elizabeth (Halsey) Philbey and one of eight children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living at Hawridge, near Aylesbury, Bucks where his father was working as a tailor. Henry was a 5 year old scholar.
He was boarding in the High Street, Bovingdon in 1901 at the home of John and Jane Hobbs and employed working a threshing machine. His brother Charles was boarding a few houses away also in the High Street.
His mother had died in 1896 aged 43, and his father married again in 1900 to Elizabeth Mead. Although she is not listed with him on the 1911 Census, his father stated that he was married and his stepson David Mead was living with him at 17 Vale Road, Chesham, Bucks.
Henry is listed as a private in the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment on the 1911 Census and his regimental number suggests that he would have enlisted between May 1906 and January 1907.
He married Lilian Butler in 1914 in Berkhamsted and they initially lived at 37 Frogmore Street, Tring, later moving to Bunstrux Hill, Tring. They had a son Frederick Charles who was born on 13 January 1915.
He was well known in Tring, chiefly as attendant and door keeper at the Gem Picture House.
Wartime Service
Henry had been a regular soldier with the Bedfordshire Regiment and was recalled as a reservist at the outbreak of war, enlisting in Berkhamsted. He was one of the first to land in France at the outbreak of war and arrived in France on 16 August 1914. He was wounded the following November and sent back to England for treatment and recovery where he stayed for some time but was back in France in the summer of 1916 and had been carrying out the responsibilities of regimental cook.
He was killed in action, aged 30, at Zillebecke on 26 July 1917 when he was amongst a group of soldiers who were sheltering from shellfire. They were killed instantly.
He is buried in Dickebusch New Military Cemetery Extension, Belgium.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £17 and pay owing of £1 3s 8d. She also received a pension of 18s 9d a week for herself and her son. Brother of Private Charles Philbey who was killed in action on 7 November 1914 and is also commemorated on Bovingdon memorials. N.B. Although initially registered as Philby, the surname seems to be spelt as Philbey with an 'e' on most military records.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Malcolm Lennox, Dick West, tringhistory.tringlocalhistorymuseum.org.uk, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk,
