Alfred Nelson Phillips
Private
15th Battalion
Ontario Agrarians
Gently sloping hills and fertile soil provided the perfect conditions for agriculture to thrive in Southern Ontario. In a world often consumed by modern industry, small tracks of farmland in quiet townships like Whittington provided families such as the Phillips with a respectable living. For the 6 children, including the youngest, Alfred, it also helped instill the values of hard work and useful life skills. It was their mother’s hope that such a way of life would also impart upon them the virtues of "peace and kindness", though Uncle Reid saw to it that even young Alfred learned to box, something the local bully would discover firsthand after picking a fight with him (1). When not working on the farm, the youthful boy was often hunting with his father in the Muskoka’s, developing an affinity for firearms and becoming an accurate shot at a young age (1).
Despite the often odd medical “remedies” concocted and fed to Alfred by his parents, he grew up to be a strong and healthy young man (1). His love for the farm and devout belief in his Methodist faith kept him content and he was looked upon as being somewhat of a rural scholar (1). Yet his peace was disturbed with the outbreak of war, the religious farmer choosing to be a conscientious objector, though he held no ill will to his brother George who volunteered in 1915 (1). Alfred did his part in providing food for the war effort and passed the years as he always had, with the only change being the exciting addition of a Ford Model T in 1917 to the family farm (1).
Conscioustenous Objector to Marksman
Despite promises by the government that farmers were to remain untouched due to their role in food production, the 1917 mobilization act nonetheless conscripted them with impunity. The deeply pacifist Alfred would be among those to receive a draft notice, appearing in Toronto in May of 1918. The 5’11” Canadian easily passed the medical examination and despite an initial refusal to put on his uniform, he eventually complied and was taken into the ranks. A solemn farewell to his family was followed by a train and boat to England, taking the 22-year-old farm boy infinitely farther than he had ever conceived of traveling (1).
Though perhaps not initially considered military material, at Camp Witley in England, he proved himself one of the best in the 44th Draft of the 1st Central Ontario Regiment. An early scuffle with the unit’s bully helped create his reputation of integrity and ferocity (1). This was followed by him shooting a 227 score at the Mychett rifle range, the second highest recorded in the camp’s history (1). Such a feat positioned him as a top marksman in the Commonwealth, having beat out thousands of his fellow Canadians who had trained on the same range (1). A congratulatory note was read in front of his entire Company and the local newspaper touted this victory back home (1). The often-humble Alfred took a rare moment to jest in a letter home writing “If you hear of a German division missing you will know who to blame for it" (1). The award of several days of leave was most appreciated and he used it to visit his brother George who was serving as an instructor in No.2 Fighting School (1).
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The Remains of War
The 15th Battalion insignia now adorned Alfred’s cap as he disembarked in France in late October of 1918. A now renowned marksman, he secretly longed to be flying aeroplanes, though riflemen were what was needed due to the extreme casualties suffered in the past few months (1). Fortune would spare Alfred the carnage of combat, the war ending not long after he joined elements of the 15th in the field (1). Yet the fact it was over did not mean an end to his job and in the new year he was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Infantry Works Company (1).
The conflict had ended, but the destruction it created remained, the Canadians opting to lend a hand in the attempts to help reassemble Northern France and Belgium. This included the recovery of the dead from the battlefield, Alfred’s Company being assigned to this duty in Courcelette (2). Mud and debris were all that remained of this once quaint French town, which had been obliterated during an offensive there in 1916. For weeks, Alfred helped his fellow men sort through the dead, attempting to identify them if possible, and preparing them for proper burial. It was a terrible job with the often skeletal remains barely resembling human forms. What made it worse is that many were their fellow countrymen. One day while working, Alfred would discover a skeleton by some sandbags with a pistol at it's side. Following closer inspection, he identified the poor man as a fellow he knew from back home, who had been killed in 1916. Such a discovery never left his mind even when he returned to his farm later that year. It is no wonder he spent the remainder of his life quietly tending to his crops and raising a family as his parents had just north of Orangeville, Ontario.
Sources:
(1) Marshall, Bess. “Alfred Nelson Phillips (1895-1990) - Find A Grave...” Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/171982980/alfred-nelson-phillips.
(2) War diaries - 2nd Canadian Infantry Works Company, Library and Archives of Canada, https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=2005535&q=2nd%20Canadian%20Infantry%20Works%20Company
(1) Marshall, Bess. “Alfred Nelson Phillips (1895-1990) - Find A Grave...” Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/171982980/alfred-nelson-phillips.
(2) War diaries - 2nd Canadian Infantry Works Company, Library and Archives of Canada, https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=2005535&q=2nd%20Canadian%20Infantry%20Works%20Company