Hello Pippa - I've had a recheck of the sources to confirm the info below ...
- could you tell me what your source was for Lieut Phillips' journey from Portsmouth to India on the troopship, Euphrates? I can't find any mention anywhere and wondered if there were 'passenger' lists as such I could see for myself
This is from the
Hampshire Telegraph, Wed 18 Dec 1878, saying that L/5 RA "embarked on Friday at Portsmouth for India in Her Majesty's Indian troopship Euphrates ... The following are the names of the officers who have embarked in the same vessel:- ... ... Lieut. Phillips, 18th Foot; ... ..."
- The Military Campaign Medals & Award Rolls showed that Captn Phillips was in England on medical leave, as was his colleague Major Robert Adamson, when the Afghan War medals were awarded and his was sent on 23 Nov 1881. Any ideas as to how I can find out when & how SP returned to England? I see that a number of invalids are given for some of the returning troopships. Was there a record of their names that I can see?
I can't find anything in the newspapers regarding Phillips returning to England c.1881 (it may be there, I just haven't found it on my searches). Major Adamson returned from India aboard the Serapis (ref
Freeman's Journal 28 Feb 1881) which arrived in England 4 Mar 1881 (ref
Portsmouth Evening News 4 Mar 1881). The Serapis had aboard 29 officers of various regiments (ref
Reading Mercury 5 Mar 1881), but that's not to say Phillips was - or was not - one of them (officers aren't always named). I don't know if muster rolls (see guide
here) or officers' service papers (WO 25 + 76 - see guide
here and
here) might have more information?
- You said that Captn SP rejoined the 1st battalion in India in Feb 1882. Where did you get this info? Which troopship was he on and where did it sail from and to?
Freeman's Journal 23 Feb 1882: "Captain Phillips, of the Royal Irish Regiment, joined the 1st Battalion in India, from leave of absence in the early part of this month." That's a bit vague to be able to pinpoint a particular troopship.
- You said that SP wasn't named as involved in Egypt after the Anglo-Afghan war. Where can I find the list of names of those involved?
I assumed Phillips was not in Egypt with the Royal Irish in Aug 1884 as he was appointed as Adjutant to the 4th North Tipperary Militia in Jan 1884 (ref
London Gazette 11 Jan 1884); to back this up, the medal roll for Egypt/Sudan 1884 is on Ancestry (Africa > Sudan 1884-1886), and the 1st Bttn, Royal Irish roll does not include Phillips (Captains were Spyer, Forster, Guinness, Morgan, Baisragon and Francis).
- If he wasn't involved in this Nile Expedition and wasn't with the 1st battalion Royal Irish when it returned to Plymouth from Egypt aboard the Stirling Castle on 9 Sept 1895, can I find out when and how he got back to England earlier? He was appointed Adjutant to the 4th battalion, Royal Irish on 1st Jan 1884 so maybe that means he was back from India by then (the 1st battalion didn't head from Meerut, India to Egypt until August 1884) - I don't know where the 4th battalion was at the beginning of 1884. SP married in England in Sept 1885 shortly after the return of the 1st battalion.
I didn't see anything in the newspaper archive about Phillips returning to England (a more diligent search may reveal something). Again, maybe the muster rolls or officers service papers would help. Looking at the newspapers, the 4th Battalion Militia seem to have been in Ireland - eg. Clonmel, Curragh Camp in Aug 1883, Jul 1884 (from a very brief look I get the impression they were based at Clonmel and went to Curragh for annual training - this can be looked into more to confirm or not).
Hope this is some help, best -
Garen