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Thomas Walter Phillips

Private Thomas W. “Tommy” Phillips served with Charlie Company, First Battalion, 5th Marines.
He was killed in action near Kokumbona, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 27 August 1942.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 351264

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

September 16, 1924
at Philadelphia, PA

Parents

Walter Augustine Phillips
Clara Blanche (Fleming) Phillips

Education

Northeast Catholic High School

Occupation & Employer

High school student

Service Life

Entered Service

January 10, 1942
at Philadelphia, PA

Home Of Record

6729 Musgrave Street
Philadelphia, PA

Next Of Kin

Parents, Walter & Blanche Phillips

Military Specialty

Asst. Automatic Rifleman

Primary Unit

C/1/5th Marines

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

(only if relevant and short)

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

The First Battalion, 5th Marines saddled up in the early morning of 27 March 1942, marched to Kukum, and boarded a small fleet of Higgins boats for a westbound trip along Guadalcanal’s northern coast. They were in the dark about the specifics of their mission. Their “Old Man” – Lieutenant Colonel William E. Maxwell – had been instructed to land near the village of Kokumbona and sweep eastward, making trouble for any Japanese in his way before re-boarding the boats near the Matanikau River. For reasons unknown, Maxwell did not see fit to share this information with any of his subordinates. By 0730, 1/5 was hustling across the beach near Kokumbona. Companies A and B located a road – a dirt path regally named “Government Track” – and set an easterly course. Fearing some mischief from the wooded hills on the right, Maxwell dispatched C/1/5 as flank guards.

Moving along Government Track was laborious, but slogging along the ridges was torture. The murderously hot weather was bad enough; negotiating steep inclines and pushing through tall kunai grass while on constant alert for hidden enemies drained the Marines’ strength as quickly as they drained their canteens. A few men swayed and fainted, overcome by heat prostration. In less than an hour, C/1/5 was dangerously far behind the rest of the battalion. Faulty walkie-talkies added to the frustration, and after a pause to reorganize, the sweating Company C was called off the ridge and placed into column behind Company B.

About a mile out east of Kokumbona, the ridges angled towards the sea, narrowing the passable ground to a mere 200 yards. It was a natural choke point and, as Company B discovered, an excellent ambush site. The point squad withered under a sudden fusillade of machine gun fire. “We all jumped for cover, but several of the men were hit,” said the skipper, Captain William Hawkins. “You couldn’t see the [Japanese] so we began firing in the direction from which their fire had come.” While Hawkins’ men shot blindly into the jungle, the leading platoon of Company C swung to the left, searching for a clear field of fire.

The BAR team in Corporal Charlie Wolff’s squad, Privates Robert J. Budd and Thomas W. Phillips, were getting into position when the Japanese gunner shifted his field of fire. A bullet caught Budd in the chest; as he crumpled to the ground, Phillips lunged for his best buddy, only to be shot through the body by the next burst of fire. The two friends died side by side.

While this tragedy was playing out at the point of his battalion, Maxwell issued no decisive orders, merely telling his companies to “stand fast” while he radioed for more men or an evacuation by boat. He received reinforcements late in the afternoon – a furious Colonel Leroy Hunt, who relieved Maxwell of his command on the spot. By this time, the Japanese had retreated of their own volition, and the battalion spent a “quiet and uneventful night” near the beach.

Burial Information or Disposition
Excerpt from the muster roll of C/1/5th Marines, August 1942.

The following morning at 1000 hours, Budd and Phillips were buried “in a Cocoanut Grove on a narrow strip of low land between the sea and a high coral ridge, 1 mile east of Kokumbona and 10 yards north of a trail leading from Kokumbona to Matanikau.” The burial party noted a broken-down fence as a nearby landmark and, following proper procedure, made sure that both Marines were buried with dog tags. However, neither grave was located by post-war search parties.

Bob Budd’s younger brother, Kenneth, spent considerable time and money attempting to locate the grave site. He spoke with veterans who disputed the original description of the gravesite – and uncovered worrisome evidence that the AGRS mission had never bothered to search for the site, and had fabricated their report. Budd’s independent excavation unearthed numerous human remains, which were handed over to CILH authorities, but no identifications have ever been made.

Read more about Ken Budd’s efforts to find his brother’s grave on Guadalcanal.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of parents, Walter & Blanche Phillips.

Location Of Loss

The Tanagai Marist Church memorial for Budd and Phillips is a few yards northeast of this spot.

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0 thoughts on “Thomas W. Phillips”

  1. A friend of mine is a niece of Pvt Phillips and recently discovered a description of her uncle’s service and death on Guadalcanal by an individual by the name of Orville L. Kline. She is trying to locate Mr. Kline to see how he may be connected to her uncle. Any information about Mr. Kline would be appreciated.

    1. Hi John,

      Is your friend referring to this listing on the World War II Memorial Registry?
      http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2476948

      I did a quick Google search on Mr. Kline, and found he has written a number of similar biographies for other servicemen’s memorials on the Registry, from all branches and theaters of World War II. I don’t see any indication in muster rolls that he served with Pvt. Phillips, and believe he is another independent researcher rather than a direct connection to Pvt. Phillips.

      1. Geoffrey,
        Yes that is the listing. My friend Rita and her family were wondering who Mr. Orville Kline might be and how he came to have knowledge of the circumstances of her uncle’s death in combat. Thank you very much for your efforts and very quick response.
        John O’Donnell

        1. Certainly, I’m glad to help! I saw one of Rita’s posts looking for Ken Budd; if I find a way to get in touch with him I’ll pass it along. And if there’s any other information she’d like, or research assistance I can provide, would be glad to help with that as well.

          I also saw that she added a picture of Pvt. Phillips to the WW2 Registry. I’d like to ask her permission to share that picture on this page (credited, of course!) If you get the chance, could you pass on the request? Thank you!

          Geoffrey

          1. Geoffrey, I’m writing again in case the first email didn’t receive. I am Rita Lawless, the niece of Pvt. Thomas Phillips. I have been on your website just recently. I give you permission to use my uncle’s picture from wwiimemorial. I am the person who put it there. I recently found out about Ken Budd and all his trips to Guadalcanal. I found his address and phone number and spoke to him twice recently. I will ask him if it is okay to give you his phone and email address. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for all the work that you do for our Marines and their families. Rita

            1. Hi Rita–great to hear from you (again, it seems? I’m afraid I didn’t get your first email) and thank you for permission to post the picture. I’ll work it into an update for later today.

              I’ve been working on the research side of MIA efforts pretty exclusively–work and school are a bit limiting–but I do keep abreast of the expeditions. The pinpoint accuracy that Ken Budd managed to achieve is remarkable–especially considering how many are found purely by chance, and how many still remain to be found.

              I would be honored to help you in your research any way I can. You can email me directly at missingmarines@gmail.com.

              Geoffrey

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