Patrick Phee

ADDITIONAL FAMILY INFORMATION - Patrick's cousin Able Seaman William Phee was serving with the Royal Naval Division and went up to a rest camp looking for his cousin Patrick where he found a copy of the Evening Times in the trenches. On returning to his dug-out and on opening the paper the first thing he noticed was a photograph of his cousin who reported to be killed. That was the first information he had of the fact that his cousin had been Killed in Action. William won the Military Medal for a conspicuous act of bravery on the field of battle. He was discharged on the 14/02/1919. On the 26/05/1915 John and the Battalion sailed from Devonport for Gallipoli, going via Egypt (5th to the 28th June) and Mudros (1st July), landing a Cape Helles on the 03/07/1915. They were part of the 157th Brigade, 52nd (Lowland) Division. On the 5th of April the Division was warned that it would go on overseas service; on the 7th of May this was confirmed, with the destination being Gallipoli. The units embarked at Liverpool and Devonport between 18th of May and the 8th of June. Disaster struck on the 22nd of May when a train carrying the battalion HQ and two Companies of the 1/7th Royal Scots crashed in an accident at Quntinshill near Gretna. 3 Officers and 207 men died, 5 officers and 219 were injured. Fewer than 70 men survived this crash unscathed. John was Killed in Action at the Battle of Achi Baba Nullah. The Battle (12th and 13th July 1915) : The order was given to charge the Turkish defences in the late afternoon of the 12th of July 1915. As was the case throughout the campaign, the fighting was conducted at close quarters, with some trenches almost within touching distance. The Battle proved to be an overwhelming disaster. On the 12th July, the 52nd Lowland suffered 2427 casualties, of which 1065 were killed. Patrick enlisted in the 1/7th Highland Light Infantry as Patrick Black having already been discharged from the Scots Guards. This is how he is listed with the CWGC, his Service Medal and Award Rolls and his Penson Records. Patrick was Killed in Action during a charge by his Battalion against the enemy at Achi Baba. See Newspaper clippings for a letter sent to Patrick's mother by Colonel J H Galbraith of the 1st/7th Highland Light Infantry. Patrick is also remembered on the St. Mary's and St. Patrick's Churches and Stewarts and Lloyds Rolls of Honour (see photos). See photos for Patrick's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 5, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Helles Memorial Panel List, his Service Records x 6 (Scots Guards), Patrick's Pension Records x 4 and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge. Also see photos for Patrick's brother Thomas' Service Records (under the name Patrick) x 4, his Naval Service Medal and Award Rolls, his Pension Records x 2, his name in the Reverend Samuel Lindsay's 1919 book and the Drake Battalion Cap Badge. Finally, see photos for Patrick's cousin William Phee's photo, his name in the Reverend Lindsay's 1919 book, his Naval Medal and Award Rolls and his Pension Records x 2.