John Phillips – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M. Trawler Picton Castle

Engineman John Phillips – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M. Trawler Picton Castle

Early Life and Family

John Phillips, born in 1869 in Gloucestershire, was the son of John and Eleanor Phillips. He later lived in Swansea with his wife, Martha Jane Phillips, at 7 Llangyfelach Street, where the couple made their home.

Service on H.M. Trawler Picton Castle

John served as an Engineman in the Royal Naval Reserve, posted to H.M. Trawler Picton Castle, a vessel engaged in wartime duties during the First World War.

Sinking of the Picton Castle

On 19^th February 1917, the Picton Castle struck a mine laid by the German submarine UC‑17, commanded by Ralph Wenninger. The trawler sank around three miles southeast of Dartmouth harbour, resulting in the deaths of twelve crew members, including Skipper Alfred George Kippin.

Impact on Swansea and the Wider Community

South Wales Daily Post

The tragedy was reported in the press, with the South Wales Daily Post noting that three of the twelve men lost were from Swansea. The sinking deeply affected families locally and across Britain, reflecting the widespread human cost of the war at sea.

Commemoration

John Phillips
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

The names of those who died are preserved in the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records. With no known grave, John Phillips and his shipmates are commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, where their service and sacrifice are honoured for future generations.

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