Philip William Wharton Dolman

A Private with the 1/5th Battalion, Philip died on 1st of July 1917 at the age of 39. 

Philip was born at Pulham Saint Mary Magdalen in 1876, a son of Philip William and Emm Jane Dolman. In 1881 his family lived at Peppys Lane, Pulham Saint Mary. In 1891 they lived at the Farm House, Rumburgh. Later his family lived at Gisleham, before moving to Pulham Market, Norfolk. He was a brother of Gertrude Smith of The Hollies, Black Street, Gisleham. 

In 1901 Philip worked as an asylum attendant at Ipswich Borough Lunatic Asylum, Foxhall Road, Ipswich.  

For several years Philip was the manager of Messrs. Fell and Son, High Street, Ramsgate. He was known for writing cheery letters to his friends in Ramsgate and the last message received from him was a field postcard, posted the day before he went into action for the last time. He had many friends and was known as ‘Mac’. He was a member of the Ramsgate Liberal Club and was held in high esteem for his unfailing cheerful temperament and readiness to assist in promoting the success of any of the club functions (see The Thanet Advertiser 11 August 1917, page 3).   

Philip was living at 39 Crescent Road, Ramsgate, and working as a grocer, when he attested for the Army on 10 December 1915. He was called up on 23 March 1916 and joined the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters), service number 5344. He was posted to the 3/6th (Reserve) Battalion. On 1 September 1916 he was posted to the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, service number 6192. 

Philip was then posted to the 1/5th Battalion and embarked at Folkestone on 10 February 1917 and disembarked at Boulogne the same day. He joined the battalion in the field on 5 March 1917. During 1917 he was renumbered as 202715. 

At 2.47 a.m. the 1/5th Battalion attacked the enemy’s positions west of Lens. Between 4.15 and 5 a.m. the left and centre companies reached their objectives, but the company on the right failed to do that and sustained many casualties. The battalion withstood many counter-attacks, mainly held at bay by Lewis gun fire. About 6.30 a.m. the enemy launched a string counter-attack and began bombing along the trench line and by these means were able to drive two wedges into the battalion’s line and could have cut off some of the battalion’s men. Late in the day the battalion handed over the position to the 8th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. 

The battalion’s casualties were:

Officers: four missing, one wounded, one injured accidentally
Other ranks: 13 killed, 81 wounded, 62 missing

Philip was reported missing on 1 July 1917 and later presumed to have been killed in action on that date. 

His brother Leonard served with the 8th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment and died in 1917.