Hughes, Phillip W.

Phillip W. Hughes

Early Life

Philip Warren Hughes was born on October 3, 1885, in Flushing, Long Island, New York, the son of John Hughes and Mary Warren. By the early twentieth century, he had relocated to Westchester County, residing in Harrison before later establishing himself in Rye, New York, during a period of rapid suburban growth tied to the expansion of New York City.

On November 4, 1908, he married Anna Kelly in Greenwich, Connecticut, and together they raised four children over the following years. Hughes was employed as a carpenter, a skilled trade that placed him within the essential workforce supporting the construction and infrastructure of the region’s growing communities.

World War I Service

Hughes entered military service on June 8, 1916, when he enlisted in the New York National Guard at New York City. He was assigned to Company A, 7th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, which was later reorganized as the 107th Infantry Regiment, part of the 27th Division.

He initially served as a bugler beginning June 26, 1916, a role of critical importance in early twentieth-century military operations. Buglers transmitted commands across the battlefield, signaling troop movements, attacks, and withdrawals in an era before widespread radio communication. His service record reflects continued duty in this specialty, alongside a brief designation as a private in August 1918 before returning to bugler duties.
Hughes was later assigned to Headquarters Troop, 27th Division, where he contributed to divisional-level coordination and communication. The 27th Division was federalized for overseas service and deployed as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, departing the United States in May 1918.

Serving overseas from May 18, 1918, to March 6, 1919, Hughes was part of a division that operated under British command on the Western Front. During this period, the 27th Division participated in the Ypres–Lys Offensive, a series of coordinated Allied operations in Flanders that helped weaken German positions during the final phases of the war.

The division also took part in the Somme Offensive (1918), including the assault on the heavily fortified Hindenburg Line. A key engagement was the Battle of St. Quentin Canal, where Allied forces achieved a decisive breakthrough against German defenses, significantly contributing to the collapse of resistance that led to the Armistice.

Although Hughes’s duties were primarily in communication and headquarters support, his service placed him within the operational structure of these major offensives, supporting the coordination necessary for large-scale combat operations. His record indicates no wounds or injuries received in action. He was honorably discharged on April 1, 1919.

Life After Service

Following his return from military service, Hughes resumed civilian life and continued his work as a carpenter. He lived in Rye, Larchmont, and Mamaroneck before later settling in Greenwich and ultimately Stamford, Connecticut, where he became a longtime employee of Stamford Hospital.

He remained active in his trade throughout his life and was a member of Carpenters Local Union 543, reflecting both his professional identity and his connection to organized labor in the region.

Philip Warren Hughes died on June 23, 1956, at Stamford Hospital at the age of seventy.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Anna Marie Kelly Hughes; three daughters, including Mrs. Edward Wykoff of Mamaroneck and Mrs. Joseph Tarantella and Mrs. Geraldine Hushion of Stamford; and five grandchildren.

He was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Greenwich, Connecticut, concluding a life that reflected both the experiences of a World War I soldier and the steady contributions of a skilled tradesman in the communities of Westchester County and southwestern Connecticut.