Plymouth County

Lt. Gordon W. Phipps

 

 

Area Resident, Lt. G. W. Phipps, Killed in Action

Lt. Gordon W. Phipps, about 24, former resident of LeMars, was killed in action February 24 on Samar island in the Philippines, according to word received here from his mother, Mrs. Ellen Phipps of Arlington, W. Va.

His aunt, Mrs. Robert Sterling, resides at 1814 W. 18th street.

Lt. Phipps lived in Akron and Hawarden, Ia., when he was a child but spent most of his life in LeMars, and was graduated from the high school there.  In 1940 the family moved from LeMars to Des Moines and in February, 1942, he enlisted in the army.  He was in an infantry company.

Survivors besides his mother are three sisters, Mrs. Charles Wilson of Arlington, Mrs. F. Lamb of Chicago, and Mrs. Lowell Newton of Milwaukee, Wis., and three brothers, Ralph and Arnold, both in the Navy and Lt. James, a bombardier in the air corps.

Source: The Sioux City Journal, April 26, 1945

GORDON W. PHIPPS KILLED IN ACTION

Mrs. Mildred Phipps Wilson, living at 3830 N. Upland Street, Arlington, Va., has received word that her brother, Gordon W. Phipps, was killed in action Feb. 24, on Samar Island, one of the Philippines.  He was a first lieutenant, and had been overseas a year.  He was just 23 years of age.
Gordon was one of four Phipps brothers in the service.  James Phipps has just returned to the United States, having completed fifty bombing missions in the Pacific.  Ralph Phipps is in the Navy, at present in California, and Arnold Phipps is in the Admiralty islands.

Until a few years ago, the members of the Phipps family were LeMars residents, and are remembered by many friends who will be grieved to learn of the tragedy. Lieut. Gordon Phipps, like the other children, attended school in LeMars.

Source: LeMars Globe-Post, April 26, 1945

Lt. Gordon Phipps Killed

Lt. Gordon W. Phipps, about 24, former resident of LeMars, was killed in action February 24, on Samar island in the Philippines, according to word received from his mother, Mrs. Ellen Phipps, of Arlington, Va.

Lt. Phipps lived in Akron and Hawarden when he was a child but spent most of his life in LeMars, and was graduated from the high school here. In 1940 the family moved from LeMars to Des Moines and in February, 1942, he enlisted in the Army. He was in an infantry company.

Survivors besides the mother are three sisters, Mrs. Charles Wilson of Arlington, Mrs. F. Lamb of Chicago, and Mrs. Lowell Newton of Milwaukee, Wis., and three brothers, Ralph and Arnold, both in the Navy, and Lt. James, a bombardier in the Air Corps.

The Phipps family left LeMars about eight years ago and the mother now lives in Arlington with her daughter, Mrs. Charles Wilson.

Source: LeMars Sentinel, April 27, 1945

***Further Research:

Gordon W. Phipps was born Oct. 8, 1921 to James Wesley and Ellen Deborah Bloom Phipps. He died Feb. 24, 1945 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. 

Source: ancestry.com