Harlan Milton Philips was born on December 11, 1909 to M. Ardelle and Anna E. S. Philips who resided at 423 Dean St. in West Chester, Pennsylvania.  His sister Elizabeth was born in 1920. His father, Ardelle, was a carpenter and contractor.

Harlan’s father Ardelle was born on the family farm in East Nantmeal township Chester County in 1885.  Though Ardelle’s father Owen was a teacher of Latin, Greek, and algebra, Ardelle had an eighth grade education, since he preferred plowing in the spring over going to school.  He married Anna E. Syphard in 1905.  Much of the courtship was taking Anna home from church service Sunday night in a horse-drawn buggy.

They were tenants on her father’s farm.  In addition to farming, Ardelle did some carpentry and in 1917 he moved to West Chester to work as a carpenter for Cloyd Baldwin , a local contractor.  One of his first jobs was work on the Methodist Church, dedicated in 1919. He set out on his own after a dozen years.  About a half dozen houses which he built stand in West Chester.

Harlan attended the West Chester High School, and then located on the northeast corner of Church and Washington Streets.  He was in the Science Club in 9^th grade, the History Club his 3^rd and 4^th year, and Classroom Lieutenant his 4^th Year. He graduated in 1926. The yearbook describes Harlan:

Harlan is a wonderful mathematician.  A problem in Trig, which we cannot master, becomes a mere plaything in his hands.   He is a “shark” in Physics, too, and easily keeps at the head of his Class.   However, he likes a little fun along with his good marks, as we have seen.   He certainly can run, too, even though he hasn’t been out for track.

The father and son were very close and in the early 20’s made a crystal set.  After finding the sensitive spot for the sharp “catwhisker” detector wire, through the earphones they heard  KDKA Pittsburgh, one of the earliest broadcast stations.  At that time some people regarded those who heard voices and music from afar as a little crazy.  They later made tube sets.  One night, they installed a new $4 vacuum tube.  Ardelle had worked all day in the rain for that $4.   In an instant they burned out the delicate filament with a short circuit to the high voltage.

Harlan attended the Teacher’s College (today West Chester University centered in the south west part of the town). He was in the Library Club, the Poster Club and the Rural Club – the purpose of the later was “to study rural conditions and the relation of the rural teacher to the community.”

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He taught for two years at Warwick Township schools near Falls of French Creek, west of Morgantown and later at Ivyland, near Warminster in Bucks County.

But teaching wasn’t Harlan’s cup of tea, nor was selling cars which he tried briefly.  But installing and servicing refrigerators, electric ranges, oil burners, air conditioners, and radios—all things electrical—was a dream job.  He went to work for George J. Palmer Co., a General Electric appliance retailer, at 14-16 West Market Street, in 1931.  Many houses then had ice boxes and coal furnaces, and some had wood/coal cook stoves. That store became W.E. Gilbert, now at 128 West Market Street. W.E. Gilbert’s appliance store became a long standing icon in West Chester, and still exists at that location today.

In 1932, while serving as an usher in church, he was noticed by Margaret Mae Boehmler, a pretty brunette file clerk from Malvern living in Philadelphia and working for Bell Telephone.  They married in 1934 and moved into a second floor apartment in Ardelle’s house at 423 Dean Street.  He was an active member of the Baptist Church on High street in West Chester.  He taught at the church school, and was a youth leader and participant in the men’s group.

Son Charles was born in January 1936, giving the father in due time excuses to buy model electric trains and to make bows and arrows.  When at 4 Charles went to the Chester County Hospital to get his tonsils out he was visited by Harlan’s only sibling, 20 year old Elizabeth, (later married to Philip Rodenboh), in nursing training there.

Harlan built a small radio transmitter, but never got licensed as a radio amateur.  Instead he joined the Naval Reserve in 1932, meeting at the American Legion under Guy S. Craig., and became expert at receiving and sending code as he operated their transmitter.

He also practiced breaking codes, solving the cryptograms the Navy sent him.  When he volunteered in 1941, he was offered a desk job in Washington which he rejected.  Another obstacle was his 6’5” height, taller than Navy guidelines.  Finally he was accepted for active duty on August 30, 1941 and reported for training in New London, Connecticut.  He was a radioman 2^nd class.

He was in San Francisco when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor that December 7.  At home, Charles had started first grade, and by spring it was obvious that his mother would deliver a brother or sister soon. 

Sister Brenda arrived in early May 1942.  It was a joyful reunion when Harlan came home on leave to take his wife and new daughter home from the hospital.  He brought his father an Inca Sun God ring from Peru which Ardelle wore the rest of his life.  His ship had brought back zinc.  It was used for “Roosevelt pennies” which were steel, plated with zinc, to conserve copper.

On his next tour of duty he was assigned to the Naval Armed Guard attachment on the tanker, the SS Jack Carnes.

Merchant ships were armed with a mix of 5 inch, and 3 inch guns as well as machine guns for self-defense.  The collective power of the guns aboard merchant ships in a convoy helped to defend against enemy air attacks.  The Naval Armed Guard consisted of Navy personnel detached to man these guns.  But the biggest menace was from submarines, for which the armed guard could not mount an effective defense.  Merchant ships suffered heavy losses to U-Boats during the first half of the war, and Merchant Marine sailors and the Naval Armed Guard suffered heavy losses of life.

The SS Jack Carnes was damaged by a torpedo from U-Boat 705, then torpedoed and shelled by U-boat 516 until the tanker sank.

Radioman Second Class Harlan Milton Philips was Killed In Action on August 31, 1942

On Tuesday October 27^th, his wife, Margaret, received a telegram from the Chief of Naval Personnel stating that her husband was “Missing following action in the performance of his duties in the service of his country.”

On Friday September 10, 1943 Margaret received a telegram from A. C. Jacobs, Commander of the U.S.N. R. head of Casualties, Bureau of Naval Personnel, that her husband is presumed to have lost his life on September 1, 1943.

 Radioman Philips was serving as a member of the armed guard crew on board the SS Jack Carnes when that vessel was struck by torpedoes and sank in the North Atlantic.  All members of the merchant crew and those attached to the armed guard were able to abandon ship in two lifeboats.  One life boat was successful in reaching land, but the other boat was last seen during a heavy storm in open sea on the night of August 31, 1942.

During the interim of one year no report has been received indicating that your husband survived, therefore the Secretary of the Navy has reviewed all available circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

It is deeply regretted that the hope which you have held during these intervening months for the safe return of your husband must now be precluded with the sad news that he paid the supreme sacrifice.

A memorial service was held on Sunday evening December 5^th at the Baptist Church in West Chester.  The church was filled by members of 3 congregations who joined to honor Harlan. The eulogy was given by his pastor, Reverend Mervin A. Heller, and Captain Edgar W. Davis, District Chaplin of the Fourth Naval District (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.)  The Scripture reading was by Reverend William H. Ralstom, pastor of the Calvary Lutheran Church, and prayer by Reverend William Henry Dilts, pastor of the Westminster Church.

The church choir sang Gloria (Mozart), taps was sounded, and the color guard was provided by the Postal Administration School.

Pastor Heller’s eulogy reflects the personality and character of Harlan:

It is well that we remember at this time his natural trait of friendliness, his open personality, his inherent honesty.  His friendliness found expression in his activity in the Baptist Church.

We tonight honor Harlan M. Philips, son, husband, father citizen, patriot, Christian.  May the souls of all who have paid the supreme sacrifice in defense of our liberties and freedoms, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon them.

Harlan is remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery in Cartage, Tunisia.  He was awarded the Purple Heart, sent to his widow.  The citation bore the signatures of Rear Admiral Randall Jacob and Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy.

Besides his wife Margaret, Harlan was survived by two children: Charles, 7 and Brenda, 1.