Couin British Cemetery

Jack Phillips is buried in the Couin British Cemetery
Grave Reference IV.B.7 (The East side of the road near the Great Cross.)

The Cemetery was used by the Field Ambulances of the different Brigades in the 48th Division. Jack Phillips is the only member of the 1/5th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshires who was buried at Couin.

Richard Smith, who died of wounds on the same day, is buried in Hebuterne Military Cemetery implying that he died shortly after being wounded. This would suggest he was the solder recorded as having been killed on 5 October. In this case it seems more likely that Jack was wounded and evacuated, most likely being wounded on 3rd of 4th October.
If Jack was wounded rather than being killed outright he would probably have been taken to a Regimental Aid Post and then on to the Brigade's Advanced Dressing Station. The Field Ambulance was a term used to describe the medical companies including those who manned hospitals, field hospitals, dressing stations and also the stretcher-bearers.

The 48th South Midland Division had three Field Ambulances named 1/1st, 1/2nd and 1/3rd.

The 1/3rd was operating slightly further north.
The 1/1st moved on 1 October to ST.AMAND. A party of 1 Officer and 50 other ranks took over the advanced dressing station at FONCQUEVILLERS.
The 1/2nd moved from VAUCHELLES to D 26 CENTRAL. If this D26 is that on map 57DNE then it was on the road between Souastre and Couin about half a mile from the British and New British Cemeteries.
The 1/2nd War Diary records that on 2 October a Captain and 26 other ranks 'went to AD Hebuterne & Sailly'.

The most likely scenario seems to be that Jack was wounded on 2nd or 3d October. He would then have been taken to the Advanced Dressing Station manned by the 1/2nd Field Ambulance at Hebutern and Sailly. From here he was probably evacuated to the main base of the 1/2nd where he died. His body would have been carried down the road and interred in the cemetery there, near to Couin.

>>Memorials