Nat Gould

Philip Gould 1870-1942

Lt Gould in Egypt 1899

Philip Gould was born at Southsea in Hampshire on 22nd August 1870, the son of Louis Philip Gould 1840-1927 and his wife nee Louisa Tyrer 1843-1937.

He was educated at Shrewsbury, and went on to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, passing out on 12 April 1891 to be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Irish Fusiliers.

In the photograph, take in Egypt in 1899, Lieutenant Gould is shown among the standing officers fourth from the right, directly in front of the three officers on the stairs. In 1900 he was promoted Captain, and Brevet Major and Major in 1910. Later he was further promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.

Colonel Philip Gould served abroad in three campaigns.

He saw service in the Sudanese War, taking part in the Battle of Omdurman. In the South African War he was present at the defence of Ladysmith, and was twice Mentioned in Despatches. He held the Queen's South Africa Medal with five clasps and the King's South Africa Medal with two clasps. During that campaign he was promoted Brevet Major. In 1911 he was a Major serving with his Regiment at Quetta, Baluchistan in India.

During the First World War he served with his Regiment on the Western Front. From 1916 to 1918 he commanded a battalion of Connaught Rangers. He was Mentioned in Despatches, and on 15 March 1915 was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. After the Armistice he volunteered again for service and went to Russia with the Archangel Force (1).

On 29 November 1914 he married Maria Augusta Stewart at Willingdon near Eastbourne in Sussex. She was born in 1882 at St Leonard's-on-Sea in Sussex, the youngest daughter of Major Alexander Frederick Stewart of the Worcestershire Regiment (2). They made their home at The Hermitage, Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire, and had the following children:

Philip Francis Stewart Gould. He was born on 29 May 1916 and served in the Royal Navy. He was killed in action in the Mediterranean on 28 April 1943 aged 26 years.

Dermot Evelyn Gould. He was born in 1918. He joined the Royal Air Force, and became Flying Officer attached to 51 Squadron. He was killed in action on 5 April 1940 aged 22 years.

Myles Tyrer Gould 1921-1944. He followed his father into the Royal Irish Fusiliers, later being attached to the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment). He died in action on 17 June 1944 aged 23 years.

Gillian Leigh Gould. She was born in 1922 at Christchurch in Hampshire, and was unmarried. She died on 27 December 2007 at North Crawley in Buckinghamshire aged 85 years (3).

When the Home Guard was formed in the Second World War, Colonel Philip Gould immediately joined, and became Second in Command of the Newport Pagnell Platoon. He was president of the local branch of the British Legion, and worked for the Soldiers' Sailors' and Airmen's Families' Association. For many years he was Honorary Secretary to the Buckingham Boy Scouts' Association.

Lieutenant-Colonel Phillip Gould died at his home in Newport Pagnell on 1 July 1942 aged 71 years. He was buried at Savernake in Wiltshire. The gravestone also commemorates two sons killed in action (4).

His widow Maria Augusta Gould died in 1962 and was buried at Savernake.

(1) Obituary in Faugh-a-Ballagh (The Regimental Gazette of The Royal Irish Fusiliers) April 1943; 1911 Census Return.
(2) Western Gazette 18 December 1914.
(3) Milton Keynes Citizen 29 December 2007.
(4) The photograph of the gravestone is shown by kind permission of Steve Rogers, The War Graves Photographic Project www.twgpp.org