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Lieutenant Philip Ralph ODELL
2nd Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment Date of birth: 4th July 1899 Date of death: 30th April 1921 Died of wounds aged 21 Buried at Government Cemetery, Wellington Plot 17 Row A Bo. 10
Philip Ralph Odell was born at York House, Fore Street in Hertford on the 4th of July 1899 the elder son of Dr. Robert Odell MD FRCS, a physician, and Georgina (nee Dunnett) Odell of York House, 86 Fore Street, Hertford, later of 6 Queens Road, Hertford in Hertfordshire. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Heads House from September 1913 to December 1916. He served as a Private in the Officer Training Corps. He went on to Henley House School, Frant from January to July 1917. He applied to take the examination for the Royal Military College Sandhurst on the 8th of May 1917 and was successful in the examination in the July of that year. At a medical examination, which was held in London on the 11th of July 1917, it was recorded that he was five feet seven inches tall and that he weighed 124lbs. It was also noted that his chest was slightly below the required size and he was given a course of physical exercises to help him meet the requirement. He attended Sandhurst from September 1917 to August 1918 after which he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Bedfordshire Regiment on the 21st of August 1918. He was posted to the 51st (Graduated) Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment based at Norwich on the 21st of September 1918 and to the 1st Battalion of his regiment in France on the 27th of October 1918. He served in France until the 25th of April 1919. On his return to England he was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) battalion of his regiment based at Brockton in Staffordshire from the 1st to the 30th of July 1919 and to the 1st Battalion, also based at Brockton, from the 30th of July to the 21st of August 1919. During this time the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiments were merged and he was posted to the 2nd Battalion of the new regiment based at Colchester on the 21st of August 1919. On the 2nd of October 1919 he boarded a ship bound for service with the battalion at Secunderbad in India and he disembarked there on the 26th of October 1919. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 21st of February 1920. On the 29th of April 1921 Philip Odell set out on a hunting trip to the Orange River Valley in the Nilgiri Hills with three other officers from his battalion. His companions were Lieutenant A.N.W. Powell, Captain Mayne and 2nd Lieutenant H.M.V. Moss. The following day they were surrounding a small wood waiting for the beaters to come through when a shot was heard. When 2nd Lieutenant Moss went to investigate he found Philip Odell with a severe wound to his right arm which had been caused by the accidental discharge of his own rifle. After some delay, he was carried on an improvised to the main road where he was placed in a car and driven back to Wellington but died from shock and loss of blood before he arrived at the hospital there. His father received the following telegram dated the 9th of May 1921: - "Deeply regret to inform you General Officer Commanding 6th Poona Division reports May sixth Lieut. P.R. Odell 2nd Bedford and Herts Regt died April thirtieth gunshot wound, self inflicted, accidental. The Army Council express their sympathy." A Court of Inquiry to establish what had taken place was convened at the British Station Hospital at Wellington on the 1st of May 1921 under the chairmanship of Major A.R.G. Wilson DSO, 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The first witness to give evidence was 2nd Lieutenant H.M.V. Moss 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment: - "On Friday 29th April last Lieut. Odell, Lieut. Powell, Captain Mayne and myself with about 28 men left Wellington on a shooting trip near Orange River. The following evening, that is 30th April about 5.30pm, we were posted round a small wood waiting for the beaters to come through. I was about 100 yds of Lieut. Odell’s left with Captain Mayne half way between us. I heard a shot from Odell’s direction and someone shouting and I immediately rushed down; on reaching Odell I found him lying on the ground with Sgt. Glenn (Bedfords) leaning over him. Odell’s right arm was bleeding badly, Sgt. Glenn proceeded to bind it up; I left for camp in order to get a car as soon as possible. I did not myself see the accident happen. Meantime Odell was carried to the camp on an improvised stretcher, about 5 miles. I met him at the camp again, he was quite conscious and took some tea. This was about 8.30pm I think. Sgt. Glenn again cleaned Odell’s wound and bound it up again. We waited a while for the car and then carried him on an improvised stretcher to the road – this was about 3 miles. Odell was conscious when we started but lost consciousness on the way. I came back in the car with Odell and took him to the Station Hospital, Wellington. He died during the journey.” A letter dated the 13th of June 1921 from Lieutenant A.N.W. Powell 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment written at Meadows Barracks, Secunderabad described the cause of the delay in carrying him back to the road: - “Sir, In the Orange Valley about 10 miles North East of Wellington on the 30th April 1921, at the time of Lieut. Odell’s accident, we had twenty native beaters with us. Within a few minutes of the accident there were only four of them to be seen. As soon as they got to hear that they would be required to carry Mr. Odell, they disappeared. On enquiry from our native servants I was told that the men who had disappeared belonged to the Burrga tribe, who are not, on account of their religion, allowed to touch people of another religion and would become outcastes in the event of being splashed with blood. Further, the beaters knew that it Lieut. Odell died while they were carrying him they would lose caste for having carried a corpse. The four natives who remained with us were of a lower caste but their physique was bad and they could not carry Lieut. Odell. I believe the head man of the Burrga tribe lives at Wellington. In my opinion, it would be a good thing to enquire into the matter through him. It is possible that I was misinformed, and in this case steps should be taken to warn the natives of Kukal and the surrounding villages that in the event of such behaviour in future, they will be called upon to explain their action. Had we been dependent on the natives alone, Lieut. Odell would never have reached the camp. With reference to the statement in Poona District letter No. 21001/11A2 to the Madras District that the above information may be required with reference to any letter to Lieut. Odell’s family, I should like to say that the bad behaviour of the Indians in no way affected Lieut. Odell’s return to camp as our own men lost no time, and spared no effort in carrying him back as quickly as possible. The only reason for my wanting the natives to carry Lieut. Odell was that I thought they would be more sure footed on the mountain paths and would be able to carry the stretcher with less jolting.” The conclusions of the Court of Inquiry were passed onto his parents by the War Office in a letter dated the 17th of June 1921- Sir, I am directed to inform you that the proceedings of the Court of Inquiry held to investigate the circumstances of death of your son, the late Lieutenant P.R. Odell, 2nd Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, have now been received at the War Office and from which the following particulars are extracted: - "On the 29th of April 1921, Lieut. Odell, with three other officers and about 28 men, left Wellington on a shooting trip near Orange Valley. On the following evening, about 5pm, when posted round a small wood, a shot was heard from the direction of Lieut. Odell. On arrival, he was found lying on the ground, with a wound in his right arm, which was attended to and bandaged in the best way possible, in the absence of a doctor. Lieutenant Odell, who was conscious and quite composed, on overhearing a question put to his bearer as to who did it, said “I did; I am afraid it was all my fault.” An improvised stretcher was made and Lieut. Odell was conveyed back to the camp, a journey which took 4 ½ hours over difficult ground which was uphill practically the whole way. Meanwhile, one of the officers had gone on ahead for a car, which was brought to the nearest point to the camp on the main road, a distance of about three miles. Lieut. Odell was carried on the stretcher to the car and was taken to the Station Hospital, Wellington. Unfortunately he lost consciousness and died during the journey. The native bearer to Lieut. Odell states that after the shooting had finished he was with his master who was sitting on the ground with his rifle between his knees, muzzle up, the butt being on his left and on the ground; he was unloading his rifle, which was a .350 Winchester, with his left hand, with the muzzle pointing at his right arm, when it went off. The medical evidence showed that the cause of death was haemorrhage and shock caused by a gunshot wound of right arm, involving the elbow joint and lower end of humerus. Practically all the structures at this point were blown to pieces and all the main blood vessels were torn across. The bullet was fired at very close range and apparently travelled from the inside of the arm to the outside. There were no other injuries. The Court recorded its opinion: - “That Lieutenant P.R. Odell, 2nd Beds & Herts Regt. died from the result of a gunshot wound, accidently self-inflicted while unloading his rifle and entirely through his own fault.” The Court further considered “that every possible effort was made to save his life by the remainder of the party.” Your son was buried on the 1st of May 1921, in the Government Cemetery, Wellington, India, the number of the grave being Plot 17 Row “A” Bo. 10, which is to be marked with a monument fully inscribed. In sending you these sad details, I am desired to convey to you the deepest sympathy of the Members of the Army Council in your great loss. Major D.G. Scott-Tusker He is commemorated on a brass plaque at St Andrew's Church, Hertford.

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