Ewen, PKS

Lieutenant Philip Keith Somerville Ewen

Philip was born in Battersea on February 12th 1892, the middle child, and only son, of a perfume seller, also called Philip Ewen, and his wife, Mary. He came to the College at the age of 15, and spent 18 months as a pupil before leaving in order to take up a role as a clerk in the Royal Exchange Assurance Co. In 1910 he also joined the Territorial division of the London Rifle Brigade, having been an established member of the O.T.C. whilst at Dulwich. He was a keen cross-country runner, and during this period served as a member of the L.R.B. team which won the Territorial Marathon in 1914, as well as joining up as a member of both the Orion and South London Harriers running clubs.
Upon the outbreak of war in August of 1914, as a full member of the Volunteers, Philip and his unit were among the first called up, and they were sent over to France in November that year, by which time he had been promoted to Lance-Corporal. Before long he was promoted once more, and was serving as Corporal when he was badly gassed on May 16th 1915 and invalided back to Lincoln Hospital in England. Whilst recuperating he was offered, and took, a commission in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, returning to France with his new unit in March of 1916, and was shortly thereafter promoted to Lieutenant. On September 3rd that year, whilst leading his men in an attack a German position near Beaumont-Hamel on the Somme, he was shot and killed by a German machine gunner.