George Phillips

Died

:

11 January 1872

Age

:

23

Rank

:

Police Constable

Force

:

Gloucestershire Constabulary

Cause

:

Train

Duty Status

:

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Died after being struck by a train near Combe Dingle while walking along the railway line to his police station.

On the evening of 9th January 1872, PC Phillips and a colleague were walking back from Fishponds to Shirehampton police station, along the Bristol Port and Pier railway line. About 6:00pm, after calling at Westbury police station, the two officers recommenced their journey but George stopped near Combe Dingle while his colleague continued walking, reaching Shirehampton about 7:30pm.

When PC Phillips had failed to return three hours later, his colleague set out to search for him but by 3:00am had not managed to locate him.

Shortly after 5:00am, nine-and-a-half hours after the officer was last seen, three men found George with severe head injuries, lying in a ditch beside the railway track and took him to Sea Mills railway station.

It appears that after leaving his colleague PC Phillips had decided to take a short cut home but, on realising the 7:30pm train was due, had hurried back to board it but caught his foot on a signal wire and stumbled on to the track where, unconscious, he was later struck by the train.

He died twenty-four hours after being found.

George had served in the Constabulary for a little over twelve months.