Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John James Brown, a Wesleyan Minister, born 1850 in Manchester, Lancashire and his wife Faith Brown (nee Holman, married in the July quarter of 1878 in Islington, Middlesex), born in the October quarter of 1855 in Topsham, Devon (daughter of John Bagwell Holman, 1825-1882 and Faith Hayman, 1825-1898). Philip Kennish was born on the 27th May 1887 in Battersea, Surrey, his siblings were, Christien Mary, a schoolgirl, born on the 29th November 1880 in Kentish Town, Middlesex, Ethel Holman, a schoolgirl, born 1883 in Manchester and Holman, born on the 14th May 1885 in Battersea, Surrey, in April 1891 the family home was at Upperthorpe, Nether Hallam, Ecclesall Bierlow, Yorkshire. In 1898 Philip’s mother died in Jersey, aged 43. In March 1901 Philip was a college pupil and was residing in the family home at 6, Windsor Terrace, St. Heliers, Jersey, Channel Islands, together with his widowed father, a Wesleyan Minister and his siblings Christien, Ethel, a college pupil and Holman, a college pupil. In April 1911 Philip was employed as a chartered accountant and was residing in the family home at Wesley House, Coton Road, Chilvers Coton, Warwickshire, together with his widowed father a Superintendent Wesleyan Minister and his siblings, Christien and Ethel. Philips father latterly resided at Castle Donington, Leicestershire, Centenary House, 97, Charlton Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset and Glenarth, Budleigh Salterton, Devon.
Philip’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Philip had initially enlisted into the Norfolk Regiment as a Private and was allotted the service number 12522. He was then gazetted, and although the Officer’s service records were not researched it is known that he was posted to the 9th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was then transferred on attachment to the 1/5th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, and it was with this Battalion that he first entered the theatre of war in Le Havre, France on the 1st March 1915. He was reported missing in action on the 13th October 1915, and his body was never recovered and he is therefore commemorated on the Loos Memorial in the Pas de Calais, France. He was awarded the 1914-15 STAR, British War Medal and Victory Medal. His brother, the Reverend Holman Brown made application in respect of his late brother’s medals on the 13th November 1922.
The War Diary records: 13 Oct-15 – TRENCHES. At 2.00pm the Battalion attacked the enemies’ trenches. They passed over the Redoubt and owing to heavy fire took up a position in LITTLE WILLIE and NORTH FACE. About 6.00pm we had to retire to the Redoubt, owing to the untenability of the former position. This position we held. The Battalion showed the greatest bravery in the attack, but suffered very severely. 10 Officers being killed and 12 wounded. Only about 160 men returned safely.