19591 Philip Lewis Rolfe - Royal Army Medical Corps

 Philip Lewis (Phil) was born on 25 November 1890 in Wickham, Berks and started at Welford and Wickham Primary School on the 8th March 1894, leaving in the October of 1902. 

On the 1st October 1904 as a 14 year old schoolboy Phillip joined the RAMC militia signing up for 6 years. On 10th March 1905 Phillip enlisted in the RAMC Corps where he rose to the rank of sergeant by February 1918.  The RAMC Journal has the following entry:

Promotions. 
The following promotions to complete War Establishment will take effect 

from the dates specified :— 

To be Serjeants. 
Dated February 25, 1918.-19591 Cpl. P. L. Rolfe.

(September, 1918. Vol.XXXL 3 Journal Royal Army Medical Corps) 

In 1935 Phil married Harriet Hansen in Portsmouth. I have not been able to find anything about Harriet as yet.

At the end of September 1939 a national register was taken in Britain to help coordinate the war effort. Phil is registered at the Hants Female Orphanage, Kings Park Road, Southampton and his occupation is shown as male nurse. I really am not sure whether the orphanage was being used for some other purpose but the only 5 residents were Phillip a male nurse, a sanitary inspector for Southampton, a hall porter, a canteen steward and a commercial traveller, all male. The establishment does not sound as if it is still in use as a female orphanage! All five men are ARP Medical Services so I imagine that they are posted at the orphanage on ARP night duty.

By 1947 Phil appears on the Royal College Of Nursing register as an assistant nurse, he has moved to Bath by then as his address is shown as 9 London Place, Walcot, Bath.

Philip Lewis died in Bath on the 2nd of September 1972 and was cremated on the 7th of that month. Unfortunately no photographs of Phil have been found as yet.