This story is being shared on behalf of a dear family friend Annabel Cowie and the McPhillips family.

Edward McPhillips was Annabel’s uncle, her dad’s brother, and like so many families who lost loved ones in the Second World War the McPhillips family didn’t speak very much about the circumstances of Edward’s death.

But, he was never forgotten: “Uncle Edward”, who landed in Normandy on D-Day and lost his life five days later; a beloved son and brother, remembered with honour and pride.

The one thing that Annabel does remember is that her grandparents managed to make the journey to Normandy to visit their son’s final resting place at Ranville War Cemetery.

6th June 2024 was the the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a unique moment in time and almost certainly the last opportunity that the veterans who are still with us would have to visit Normandy and pay their respects to their comrades who never came home.

It also gave us all the opportunity to say thank you to these few remaining D-Day veterans and pay tribute to their service. So many wonderful events were organised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as part of their “Legacy of Liberation” programme and at the centre of these events was the “Torch of Commemoration”; passed on from our veterans to the next generation, young people who promised to honour the memory of the men and women who gave their lives for their country.

The torch was handed over at many locations around the United Kingdom before making the journey to France to be part of the D-Day 80 celebrations there.

Jane Lawson of the CWGC very kindly visited Edward McPhillips’ grave in Ranville War Cemetery during these commemorations; she said that it was “an absolute pleasure and a privilege” to do so and she also said “Edward’s story is now very much part our story and a very special memory of our time in Normandy.”

Thanks to Jane and all of the CWGC staff who were involved in these events Edward has now been remembered in a very special way and has become part of a unique occasion.

2759443, PRIVATE EDWARD McPHILLIPS, 5th BATTALION BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS) DIED: 11th JUNE 1944 (D+5) Edward McPhillips was born at 113 Stenhouse Street, Cowdenbeath, Fife, on 30th June 1917 to Thomas McPhillips, a coalminer and his wife Annabel Glancy.

He had a brother, John, who was born in Torryburn in1921 and a sister, Susan, who was also born in Torryburn, in 1924. Edward enlisted with the Black Watch in the Second World War and landed on Juno Beach on 6th June 1944 (D-Day).

5th BATTALION BLACK WATCH: TUNISIA, ALGERIA, SICILY AND ITALY (WW2 PEOPLES WAR)

The battalion were in Tunisia in 1943 and in early May they moved to Djidjelli in Algeria to be trained in amphibious landings, which were eventually made on the coast of Sicily on 10 July, landing just west of Pachino Point, the southernmost tip of the island.

After meeting some resistance from the Germans at the towns of Francafonte and Vizzini some 50 miles inland the battalion advanced across the Catanian Plain towards Paterna at the foot of Mount Etna.

The battalion was able to cross the river Dittaino with little difficulty during the night of the 18th to attack the village of Sferro which was eventually taken by the Gordon Highlanders.

The battalion crossed to the mainland of Italy with the 51st Division on 8 September 1943 and six weeks later was on its way back to the UK where it remained in training for the invasion of France.

The 5th Battalion Black Watch landed on Juno Beach just after 8.00pm on D-Day, 6 June 1944. 5th BATTALION BLACK WATCH, OPERATION OVERLORD (Extract from the National Archives catalogue: WO 171/1266) JUNE 1944 Commanding Officer: Lieut.Col. C.M. Thomson D.S.O. 6th JUNE 1944 At Sea 0720 - H. Hour - D. Day 6th Airborne Division landed on soil of France at H-4 hours and secured the bridges across the Caen Canal and the River Orne.

3rd British Division and 3rd Canadian Division landed as the Assault Troops of 1 Corps in the area of River Orne to Fray-sur-Mer. 50 Division forming the spearhead of 30 Corps landed in area Fray-sur-Mer to Bayeux.

On the 30 Corps right flank the American Armies effected a landing with the object of cutting off the Cherbourg Peninsula.

1100 - Heard that operations were going according to plan. 2030 - Bn. landed at Fray-sur-Mer and marched to Banville after having a very wet landing, most of the Jocks getting thoroughly soaked in the process.

The advance party under Major F.W. Dunn, D.S.O., M.C. who had shore guides etc. arranged for us, was still afloat owing to unforeseen circumstances so that the Bn had to find its own way about. Harboured for the night at Banville.

7th – 9th JUNE 1944 On 7th June the battalion were supported by Sherman tanks of the County of London Yeomanry in an advance on a wood East of Beny-sur-Mer. They consolidated their position in the wood overnight, being lightly shelled. A radar station was bombarded from the sea and bombed from the air throughout the day on 8th June and the battalion moved to Beny-sur-Mer to avoid bombing mistakes.

On 9th June the battalion was relieved by 5th Camerons and set out by March Route for St Aubin D'Arquenay where it took over positions vacated by a battalion of the Lincoln Regt. For the first time 153 Brigade was now concentrated as a Brigade in defensive positions in the area of St Aubin, Benouville and Periers-sur-Le Dan.

The people of the village of St Aubin D'Arquenay proved to be the first to show any signs of real friendliness.

11th JUNE 1944 The Black Watch would attack Bréville from the south-west, but before the attack sent a company to take over the defence of the Château.

At 04:30 supported by the guns and mortars of the airborne and highland divisions the attack began. To reach Bréville the battalion had to cross 250 yards of open ground, and when they neared the village the British artillery ceased fire.

The Germans then opened fire with their artillery, mortars and machine-guns. One company was completely wiped out by the German machine-gun fire as it advanced over the open ground. Met with such a heavy concentrated fire, the battalion suffered 200 casualties and the attack was repulsed.

The survivors retreated to the Château, but were immediately counter-attacked by the 3rd Battalion, 858th Infantry Regiment, who themselves suffered heavy casualties.

That afternoon three troops of tanks from the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, were sent to reinforce the Black Watch, but they had only just started to move towards the Château when three tanks were destroyed by hidden German self-propelled guns.

The other tanks were withdrawn being unable to deploy in the wooded ground around the Château. The rest of the day and night passed without another attack, but the Germans sent out reconnaissance patrols to establish the exact location of the British positions and German armoured vehicles could be heard moving up to the front during the night.

Edward McPhillips was one of the casualties during this action. He was originally buried in Le Masnil and after the war his remains were re-interred in Ranville War Cemetery along with 78 other members of his battalion. 

At the time of his death Edward McPhillips was 27 years old.