Petty Officer Telegraphist J.W.B. Phillips J10426
by Danny Siggers

D.O.B 23^rd February 1895. Basil Phillips started his career in the Navy at HMS Ganges, Shotley, on 29^th October 1910 as a Boy 2^nd class, continuing his Wireless Telegraphy training at HMS Impregnable, Devonport, from 4^th  March to 24^th November 1911.

On 25^th November 1911 he joined HMS Achilles at Portland as a Boy Telegraphist. By 1913 he was drafted to the battleship HMS Neptune being rated Ord Telegraphist on the 23^rd February, his 18^th birthday.

Eight months later, on 5^th October 1913, he was posted to HMS Good Hope, rated Telegraphist. Shortly before the outbreak of World War 1, on 1^st July 1914, he was drafted to the Flotilla Leader HMS Swift at Scapa Flow. His captain was Charles Wintour, who as commander of HMS Tipperary, and who later lost his life at The Battle of Jutland.

Promotion to Leading Telegraphist occurred shortly before his transfer on 22^nd February 1915 to HMS Ambuscade , which as part of the Grand Fleet’s 4^th flotilla, played an active part in the night action against the retiring German fleet at the Battle of Jutland on 31^st May 1916.

In July 1916, the greater part of the ship’s company transferred to the destroyer HMS Plucky.  In June 1917 HMS Plucky was temporarily transferred away from the Grand Fleet and based at Buncrana, Lough Swilly, on Atlantic escort duties.  On 26 June 1917 Basil Phillips was Mentioned in Despatches (gazetted 8^th March1918) by Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, for his innovative work in intercepting German U- boats underwater, thus helping to reduce mounting merchant shipping losses.

As a result of his work, promotion to PO Telegraphist and a posting to HMS Leander based at Scapa Flow occurred in October 1917, where he remained until the cessation of hostilities in 1918.  After a brief transfer to the signalling school "Victory 1" at Portsmouth, he returned to sea aboard HMS Leander based at Great Yarmouth and Immingham for most of 1919.

A return to the signalling school "Victory 1" from 18^th  December 1919 until 2^nd August 1922 was followed by a two-year draft in HMS Barham based at Gibraltar and Malta.

He retired from the Navy in February 1925.

Later in the same year he commenced working for the BBC as a radio engineer, and was instrumental in finding the site for their radio transmitting station at Brookman’s Park in Hertfordshire.

He died on 24 May 1928 after contracting an infection following pneumonia, aged 33 years.

(c) 2003. Details received from P.J.Avery Esq. Grandson

Go Back.