Casualty Information

David Samuel Phillips was born on the 27th March, 1916 in Merioneth, Wales. Before the War he was a Builder's Labourer and his father was a Bricklayer. He also played football for Wrexham and Bangor City.

1st KOSB War Diary entry for the date of his death In the morning 9 Bde started an attack from the area 975386 with WINNEKENDONK as the final objective.

The Bn crossed the start line - the road SOUTH WEST from RENNINGSHOF 978387 - at 0715 and by 1000 hrs the leading coys were on the final objective - on the Right A Coy in area of REYSHOF 979371, and on the Left B Coy at 984379.

Shortly afterwards 2 RUR passed through and by 1400 hrs had secured their objective of the main road running NORTH-SOUTH in the area 993364.

At about 1600 hrs the Bn passed through 2 RUR in Kangaroos and had cleared the wood up to the Southernmost edge at 002354 by 1700 hrs with no opposition except for a certain amount of mortar and shell fire.

The Comd Offr went forward to plan for the attack on BRUCH and RAHMEHOF in area 3360.

The attack was laid on for 1830 hrs with one Sqn of Churchill tanks, but had to be postponed as 2 LINCOLNS had arranged all the arty support for their attack on WINNEKENDONK.

The enemy must have seen some of the forward troops on the edge of the wood and heard the tanks as he shelled and mortared the SOUTHERN half of the wood fairly heavily till dusk. The tanks and Kangaroos withdrew to the NORTH of the wood.

At 2115 a concentration was laid on BRUCH and RAHMEHOF, and A and B Coys moved up to the forward edge of the wood taking over C and D Coys positions.

At 2130 C and D Coys attacked RAHMEHOF and BRUCH respectively and in silence. Both coys achieved total surprise and captured several prisoners. *In the morning the positions were visited by several enemy who were unaware of the situation.