Crittenden County Man, Robert F. Phillips, Plays A Part In the End Of World War I

Calamity Jane and the Firing of the Last Shot in World War I

  A Crittenden County young man played a historical part in the ending of the Great War of World War I. Herbert Francis Phillips was the son of Robert F. Phillips and Sarah Farley. They lived in the Repton community in the1900's. R. F. as he was known spent his childhood days here. Later he and most of his siblings moved to other states.

H. F. Phillips joined the Army when he was old enough and was in boot camp at Fort DA Russell in Laramie, Wyoming in 1912. He ended up in the 11^th Field Artillery Brigade. In April of 1918, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma the 11^th Field Artillery began intensive artillery and combat training in preparation for overseas assignment. The battlefields of Europe were proving to be a true artilleryman's war.

On July 14, 1918 the 11^th Field Artillery left for England. They arrived in Liverpool, England on July 26th. While another artillery regiment completed its training, the 11^th, occupied several small towns. Within a few days the regiment began drilling on 155mm Schneider howitzers, (a short cannon that delivers shells at a high trajectory) practicing night firing as well as conducting transportation and gas drills. It was also during this training that the 1918 influenza epidemic hit the unit, killing more men than would be lost in combat. The epidemic eventually claimed 57,000 soldiers of the AEF. It was not until October 22 that the 11^th left their training camp and arrived in the Argonne Forest. 

On the night of Oct. 26, 1918, the howitzers of the 11^th Field Artillery fired their first shots at the town of Remonville. On Nov. 1^st the 11^th Field Artillery participated in the largest artillery barrage of the war to that date. They advanced their guns to the south firing close range at the Germans all day before moving into the town.

Meuse-Argonne proved to be the bloodiest battle for the Americans in World War I. The forty-seven day battle involved 1.2 million American soldiers. About half the total American Expeditionary Forces casualties occurred in the Meuse-Argonne. "The aggressiveness and skill of the 11^th Field Artillery helped make American victory possible." 

 The gun "Calamity Jane" as she is getting ready to fire the last shot of World War I.

First Lieut. Phillips is on the right next to the wheel.

  On November 11, 1918, the 11^th Regimental Headquarters received orders that the war would end that day at 11:00 A.M. The men were too exhausted to cheer, but they were relieved and thankful that they had survived some of the toughest fighting ever seen in American military history. The 11^th Field Artillery Unit, was soon notified they were chosen to fire the last shot of World War 1. First Lieutenant H. F. Phillips was in this group and would be among the few to help with the firing of the great gun they had nick named "Calamity Jane."

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1^st Lieut. Phillips had a sister, Mary, who married Esday Lewis here in Crittenden county. They are buried in the Mexico Cemetery. Esday and Mary had two daughters, whom many may remember, Cleta Lewis was married to Auberdeen Clement of the Chapel Hill neighborhood and Marguerite Lewis Campbell, who also lived in the same area. Marguerite is the reason I knew about this story.