Leonard Phillips – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Nelson Battalion Royal Naval Division

Able Seaman Leonard Phillips – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Nelson Battalion Royal Naval Division

Early Life and Family Background

Leonard Phillips was born in 1891 in Swansea, the son of Robert Phillips and Mary Williams, who married in 1876 in Gower.

1891 Census

In the 1891 Census, the Phillips family were living at 137 Carmarthen Road, Swansea. Robert, aged 42, was an Able Seaman, and Mary, aged 40, kept the home. Their children were Robert J. (13), Gertrude M. (6), Elizabeth (3), who was already attending school, and Leonard E., then six months old.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family remained at 137 Carmarthen Road. Robert, now 52, was working as a Bargeman, and Mary, aged 49, continued to run the household. Their children were Robert J. (23), a Haulier; Gertrude (16); Elizabeth (13); Leonard (10); and William (7).

1911 Census

The 1911 Census again records the family at No. 137. Robert, aged 63, was employed as a General Labourer, and Mary, now 60, remained at home. Three children were still living with them: Gertrude (26); Leonard (20), working as a Tin Haulier; and William D. (17), a Tinplate Worker (Riser).

Service in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Leonard later enlisted as an Able Seaman in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, serving with the Nelson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, a formation of naval reservists trained to fight as infantry on land.

Nelson Battalion in France – September 1915

By September 1915, the Nelson Battalion was stationed in northern France, where the Royal Naval Division was undergoing training, reorganisation, and preparation for forthcoming operations on the Western Front. Although not engaged in a major offensive on 4^th September 1915, the battalion was operating under the difficult conditions typical of the early Western Front, including overcrowded and unsanitary camps, frequent outbreaks of disease such as dysentery, enteric fever, and respiratory infections, and demanding labour duties such as trench construction, wiring, and transport work. Even during quieter periods, the men were exposed to intermittent shellfire and sniper activity, adding to the strain of daily life. Disease was widespread across the British Expeditionary Force during the late summer of 1915, and the Royal Naval Division was no exception; medical facilities were limited, and many men succumbed to illness before they could be evacuated or treated.

Death and Commemoration

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Leonard Phillips
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Leonard died from disease on 4^th September 1915 while serving with the Nelson Battalion in France. With no known grave, he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, where his name is recorded among those who served with the Royal Naval Division and lost their lives far from home