Campaign Groups and Pairs 318
Pair: Second Lieutenant P. C. Chambers, Tank Corps, late 28th London Regiment (Artitsts Rifles), who commanded tanks at the battles of Messines in June 1917, at Cambrai in November 1917, where his tank was knocked out and captured, and in the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, when his tank was again knocked out, killing Chambers and all of his crew
British War and Victory Medals (2, Lieut. P. C. Chambers) with flattened named card boxes of issue, extremely fine (2) £400-£500
Philip Carlisle Chambers was born in January 1898 at Barnet, Middlesex, the son of Percy Holland and Phoebe Emmeline Chambers of Finchley, London and Paternoster Row, London. At the earliest possible date, his age permitting, and desirous of obtaining a commission he enlisted as Private No. 7894/762023 in the 1/28th London Regiment (Artists Rifles) – the Regiment at that time being essentially an Officer Cadet Training unit. Having successfully negotiated his OTC course, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Machine Gun Corps on 30 January 1917, subsequent to which, he was detailed to join 'B' Company of the Heavy Section of the Machine Gun Corps, and proceeded to France to join his unit on the 1st May following.
'B' Company Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps was originally formed at Bisley Camp, Surrey, in May 1916. The Company, which comprised 250 all ranks, moved to Thetford in September and began extensive tank training under the command of Major T. R. M. McLellan, Cameroonians. On 18 November 1916, the Company was renamed 'B' Battalion, Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps and moved to France taking up a location at Pierremont with its headquarters at Wavrans.
Throughout the winter, crew training was carried out within Companies and officers instructed their own personnel. It was at this time, 1 May 1917, that Lieutenant Chambers joined B Battalion in France, which was timely because shortly afterwards, on 18 May 1917, the Battalion took delivery of its first Mark IV Tanks, one of which, No. 2556, 4 Company Crew No. B.8 named ‘Banshee’ was placed under the command of young Chambers, which gave him precious little time to ‘shake-down’ his new crew of three drivers and four gunners (of which, one was an NCO), with a large scale battle in the offing.
2nd Battle of Messines, 7 June 1917
Thus at 3.30 a.m. on 7 June 1917, Chambers and his Battalion went into action for the first time, attacking the area east of the Nessines- Wytschaete Ridge. The British attack at Messines on 7 June opened with the explosion of a number of mines, causing a virtual earthquake that immediately killed as many as 10,000 German soldiers. A hurricane bombardment by 2,000 guns preceded the advance of nine British and Australian infantry divisions, all of which proved a complete success. At the same time, a total of 72 new Mark IV Tanks were employed in the attack, 36 each from A and B Battalions. As usual, small numbers were assigned to individual Divisions to support the infantry. Attacking uphill over badly cratered ground hardly played to the Tank’s strengths, and the British plan treated them as accessories and didn’t rely on them. In the end 48 ended up ditched or bogged. According to Tank Corps records only 19 were able to provide any support to the infantry, but in many cases this support proved invaluable. Shortly after the Messines battle, on 28 July 1917, the Heavy Branch was separated from the rest of the Machine Gun Corps and given official status as the Tank Corps.
3rd Battle of Ypres, 23 August 1917
On the occasion of the proposed operations of 23 August in the Ypres Salient, it would appear from official records, that Lieutenant Philip Chambers was given command of one of the four tanks from No 1 Section, 4 Company to go into action - viz, 2043 ‘Bulwark’ crew No. B4, but unfortunately, his day proved somewhat less than successful. The operational plan was for Tanks to advance ahead of infantry and deal with strong points in Fitzclarence Farm and L Shaped Farm. B3 and B4 (Lieut. Chambers) to start at 4:40 a.m. and proceed to L shaped farm, demolish it and then turn south and return via the north end of Inverness Copse, dealing with Fitzclarence Farm if necessary. B4 broke down, was repaired and went forward to the starting point but was then hit and burnt out; it would appear that Chambers and his crew managed to bale-out without serious injury. In fact, the whole operation proved unsuccessful and the ground initially won by the British Division was soon after re-taken by the Germans.
Battle of Cambrai, 19 November 1917
In the autumn of 1917, it was proposed for the first time, to use the Tank Corps in a set piece battle in conditions and terrain favourable to the use of Tanks and on 19th/20th November the whole of the Tank Corps of nine Battalions consisting of 378 fighting tanks and 98 administrative supply tanks were employed in the Battle of Cambrai. The battle, which was a considerable success, was based on tanks and led by them which proved a dominating factor in the battle.
Second Lieutenant Chambers of the 2nd Battalion, Tank Corps, commanding his Mark IV tank No. 2556 of 2 Section, 4 Company, Crew No. B.8 named ‘Banshee,’ was involved in the centre of the attack and came under concentrated machine-gun and rifle fire as it stormed through and flattened the normally impassable wire entanglements, allowing the following infantry avenues of access to the German trenches. Enemy artillery fire was brought to bear on the rampant tanks and Lieutenant Chambers’ tank ‘Banshee’ received a direct hit, which brought it to a standstill. The ‘Banshee’s’ crew, although stunned, managed to scramble from their vehicle, which they were forced to abandon and retire on foot to their rallying point; the Banshee was captured and towed away by the Germans and later appeared on public display in Germany. Photographs of the captured tank are still held in the German military archive in Koblenz. After the Battle the Battalion remained in a winter training camp near Bray, devoted to the overhaul of machines and training.
German Spring Offensive, 22 March 1918
At about 3 p.m. on 22 March 1918, word came through that the enemy had broken into the ‘Corps’ lines at Morchies and were apparently marching on Beugny and Beaumetz. Orders were therefore hurriedly issued for the 2nd Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel E. D. Bryce, D.S.O., to move off into action at once and ‘B’ Company, including Lieutenant Chambers and ‘Banshee II’, was directed to the east of Beugny, to engage the enemy to the west of Morchies.
The tanks had to come into view when they crossed the Bepaume-Cambrai road and soon came under very heavy enemy machine-gun fire, which was followed by heavy direct artillery fire. Several tanks were knocked out by shellfire almost as soon as they arrived amongst the enemy infantry, who were found to be in great numbers as if massing for a further advance. The appearance of the tanks seems to have been a complete surprise to the massed enemy, who became quite disorganised and retired some distance in disorder.
The Tanks were obliged to carry out the attack without infantry support and practically no artillery co-operation. Casualties both in tanks and personnel were heavy but the attack achieved its objective in that it upset the plans of the enemy and delayed any further attack on their part for nearly 24 hours. It was known at the time that the enemy were massing for an attack at once but the appearance of the British Tanks rendered this impossible.
During the action, enemy aircraft were very active and about thirty planes swooped down over the Tanks strafing them as they advanced. One Tank was knocked out under the aerial attack and one Tank commander was mortally wounded. It was during this valiant and desperate holding action that ‘Banshee II’, in the van of the fighting, received a direct hit with fatal consequences. Chambers and his entire crew were killed, if not by the direct hit then by the German infantry who swarmed over the stricken vehicle.
Of the 25 fighting tanks of the Battalion, which managed to get into action, 16 received direct hits and failed to return; three more received direct hits but were brought back. It would appear that of the 25 crews or 175 men who went into action. 108 or nearly 70% became casualties with 19 of the 25 officers also becoming casualties. The rapidity of the German advance, especially on the Fifth Army front, resulted in the Tank Battalions being sacrificed wholesale, their chief duty being to gain time and cover the British retreat with Lieutenant Chambers among many others laying down their lives for their comrades. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, France.
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