Hi
He sailed on the Carnarvon Castle, ships official number 148766. The ship sailed on the 4th. November 1927, from Southampton with 611 passengers. The captain was W.F.Stanley. The shipping line was UNION CASTLE MAIL S.S. CO. LTD. The next thing I would do would be to find out what his middle name was and his exact birth date. This could mean getting a copy of his birth certificate. I would also check the incoming passenger lists for J.R.Phillips after 1927 up to the time you think he may have died. If he came back to visit he may have brought family with him which could give you more leads. Its a few years since I did any research with South African records but I got a lot of information about my ancestor from his death notice. I am sure there are people on this site who could give you more advice on how to find and get these records than I can.
John
