Memorable Manitobans: Henry John “Harry” Philipps (1877-1944)

Municipal official.

Born at Pembroke, South Wales on 23 May 1877, son of the Rev. J. J. and Mrs. Philipps, he was educated at St. Oswald’s College at Shropshire, England. He worked for the Metropolitan Bank of England and Wales at its head office in London, and also at Swansea, Wales. He came to Canada in 1910 and worked as a grain buyer for the McCabe Elevator Company.

In December 1915, he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a member of the 222nd Battalion. He went overseas to France and was drafted into the 44th Battalion. He saw service on the Somme, Vimy Ridge, the Crassier, LaCoulette, Passchendaele, Arras, Amiens, Canal du Nord, Valenciennes, and Mons. On his return from military duty, in 1920 he was appointed clerk for the Town of Boissevain and Rural Municipality of Morton, succeeding G. S. Smith. He held the positions for the rest of his life. During the Second World War, he also served as an army recruiter at Boissevain.

He was married Grace S. Chambers (?-1944); they had no children. He was a member of the Anglican church, and a member and secretary of the AF & AM (Doric Lodge No. 36).

He died at Brandon on 4 January 1944 and was buried in Boissevain Cemetery.

Sources:

Attestation papers, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Pioneers and Prominent People of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Canadian Publicity Company, 1925.

“Henry John Phillips”, Winnipeg Free Press, 6 January 1944, page 2.

“Winnipeg soldier is wounded twice”, Winnipeg Free Press, 28 January 1944, page 8.

We thank Keith Jones for providing additional information used here.

This profile was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Profile revised: 3 July 2012

A collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Send corrections and additions to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Suggest a Memorable Manitoban  |  Sources  |  Acknowledgements Support the MHS and