Firing of the Last Shot in WWI (Part II)

 

On May 19, 2020 I did a post on Herbert F. Phillips and his part in the "Firing of the Last Shot in WWI."  Since that post I have acquired some more interesting information on this story about a Crittenden County boy.

Although Herbert F. Phillips moved away from Crittenden County, he is still considered a Crittenden Countian as he was born and lived his early days here.

This is from the  Journal and Courier of Lafayette, Indiana, May 30, 1960.

Last Shot Fired After War Ended

Officially, World War I ended with an armistice at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, but the last artillery round of that war - fired by a West Lafayette man who died last week - reportedly was fired five minutes later.

Herbert F. Phillips, an Army veteran of 34 years and two World Wars, was buried with military honors last Wednesday in Tippecanoe Memory Gardens.  

From personal correspondence of Phillips, most of it in the early 1930's when an effort was made to locate the gun and display it at West Point, along with the one which had fired the first charge of World War I, the following story of the events of that historic hour developed:

Phillips, then a first lieutenant, was executive officer of Battery E of the 11th Field artillery.  His battery was in position on a small ridge, near Evansville, France, and had been firing steady all day the armistice was signed.  The battery's target was a German "77" battery.

When orders came to cease fire at 11 a.m., Lt. Phillips planned to fire at 10:59 a.m. one last round at the enemy battery which had "given us quite a bit of trouble all morning."  according to Phillips' papers.

As it turned out, the last round actually went off at 11:05 a.m.,"either by accident or by design," according to a letter by Phillips to Maj. Raymond Marsh, of the Office of Chief of Ordnance, dated May 1, 1934.  He added he did not remember why the shot was fired after 11 a.m.

Phillips in his letters, said that a historic picture of "Calamity Jane," the artillery piece that fired the last shot, and of him and a corporal, was taken "several days later."  Other sources fix the date at Nov. 16.  The picture now is displayed in the Library of Congress.

Lafayette Leader Newspaper, Lafeyette, Ind. May 26, 1960

Herbert Francis Phillips, 70, West Lafayette, Indiana, who fired the last artillery charge in World War I, died at 4:05 PM Monday, May 23, 1960, in St. Elizabeth Hospital where he had been a patient two hours.  He had been in failing health the past year.  Born in Marion, KY, he was a veteran of both World Wars with 34 years of service with the armed forces.

During World War I he served overseas in the field artillery with the rank of Captain; from 1920-35 he did ROTC work at Purdue University, retiring in 1935.  He was called to active service with the Air Corps during World War II from 1942-46. The picture of the last artillery piece fired in World War I, and Mr. Phillips; picture hang in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.  The artillery piece is called the 'Calamity Jane'.

Mr. Phillips had lived in this community for 28 years and was a member of Central Presbyterian Church and Eagles Lodge 347.  In 1924 he married Betty Davis.  Surviving are his widow; a daughter, Betty (Mrs. Robert) Weddle; a son, Robert, both of Lafayette; two brothers, Fulton of Henrietta, TX, and Isom of Villa Ridge, IL; and two sisters, Mrs. Maude Lewis of Marion, KY and Mrs. Walter Benedict of Winston-Salem, NC.

An Army escort from Fort Harrison attended the funeral service, which was held at Soller-Baker funeral home, May 25, with Dr. J. Dayton McCormick officiating.  Internment at Tippecanoe Memory Gardens,; the firing squad fired three volleys at the grave site in honor of the distinguished soldier.

   Herbert Phillips, solider standing next to the wheel of Calamity Jane.

If Herbert's niece, Marguerite Lewis Campbell, hadn't share this with me back in 2012, I would never have know about this piece of history.  I'll always be grateful to her.