Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Philbrick, a Contractors Agent, born 1844 in Reading, Berkshire, and his wife Isabel, born 1850 in Cahore, Punjab, India. Bertie Raymond was born in 1874 at Devynock, Breconshire, Wales. He had three siblings, Llewellyn, born 1872 in Reading Berkshire, Charlotte, born 1878 in Morrieton, Glamorganshire, Wales and Edward Hooper, born 1880 in Swansea, Glamorganshire Wales. At the time of the 1881 Census the family were resident at 5, Tubs Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent. In the 1891 Census Thomas was still shown as a Contractor, but now lived without his family as a Boarder at 25, Earl Howe Street, Leicester. In the 1901 Census Thomas, is now shown as a Contractor for Public Works, resident with his two sons Bertie Raymond and Edward Hooper both shown as Assistant Contractors and living at 19, Lincoln Street, Leicester. Bertie was the husband of Lillie R. Philbrick. On the 31st January 1920 the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester published a Roll of Honour in which Bertie is shown to have been a pupil at the school between the years 1889 to 1990. His brother Edward Hooper died of pneumonia in Shoeburyness Military Hospital. His enlistment documents record that he gave his trade or calling as Civil Servant, and his next of kin as his wife Lillie Philbrick of 2932, Robinson Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, he stated that he had previous military service in Rhodesia. Information taken from his medical examination shows that he was 5 foot 11¾ inches in height, had a chest measurement of 37 to 43 inches, his complexion was described as dark, with brown eyes and black hair. He gave his religion as Church of England.