Name
Phillip Boswell
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/12/1918
43
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Corporal
4/7164
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn., (trans to 822nd Area Employment Company, Labour Corps)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TOURNAI COMMUNAL CEMETERY ALLIED EXTENSION
Plot IV, Row B, Grave 12.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Benskin's Brewery Memorial, Watford,
Wareside Village Memorial,
Holy Trinity Church Memorial, Wareside,
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial
Pre War
Philip Boswell was born in 1 June 1875 at Stansted, Herts to John and Mercy Boswell. (N.B. he is listed as being born variously at Wareside, Stansted and Stansted Abbots) and baptised 4 July 1875 at St Margaret’s, Stanstead Abbots, Essex.
His parents married 3 February 1866 at St Nicholas’, Great Hormead, Herts. John died 1887 in the Ware, Herts, district aged 62, and was buried 15 January at Wareside; Mercy died 1936 in the Ware district aged 90.
On the 1881 Census, at school aged 5 he lived in at Babbs Green, near Ware, with his parents and five siblings.
He attended first Christ Church Infants’ School, Ware; then Wareside C of E School from 24 May 1880 to 9 April 1886.
By the 1891 Census his father had died and his mother was living on parish relief with 7 children at Babbs Green and Philip, age 15, was a farm labourer.
He married Elizabeth Emily Markwell on 30 July 1904 at Holy Trinity, Bishop’s Stortford. Elizabeth remarried 1920 in the Bishop’s Stortford district to William Albert George GALE, who died 28 April 1930 in Bishop’s Stortford aged 57; Elizabeth died 1946 in the Bishop’s Stortford district aged 72.
Philip originally attested 17 March 1892 in Hertford in the 4th Bedfordshire Militia: a farm labourer aged 17, 5’2½” tall, C of E; he left 28 September 1892 when he attested at Bedford for Short Service (7 years with the Colours, 5 years in the Reserves), Private 41885 Bedfordshire Regiment: a labourer aged 18, 5’3½” tall, C of E, his next-of-kin his mother of Wareside, Herts.
He served at Home 28 September 1892 to 15 December 1899, during which time he was appointed Drummer 9 March 1894, and extended his service to complete 12 years with the Colours 27 April 1894.
He served in South Africa 16 December 1899 to 28 January 1903, during which time he reverted to Private 9 December 1902. Home again from 39 January 1903, re-engaged 10 September 1904 for a further 4 years’ service, and was discharged 27 September 1908 on termination of his engagement.
Wartime Service
He initially enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment, no. 4/7164 and later transferred to 822nd Area Employment Coy. Labour Corps under no. 449586.
He died at no. 1 Australian Casualty Clearing Station.
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 11 November 1914 which is when his overseas service commenced
Additional Information
Widow Elizabeth received a war gratuity of £26 and pay owing of £37 3s 3d.
Unfortunately, Phillip’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing; and does not appear to have an entry in Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919.
Philip is also commemorated on his widow's second husband's headstone in Bishop's Stortford Old Cemetery his part of the inscription reads:
". . . ALSO OF MY FIRST DEAR HUSBAND CPL. P BOSWELL DIED IN FRANCE DEC. 12TH 1918
THEY DIED FOR OTHERS
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Malcolm Lennox, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
