Robert W. Philp was born on April 29, 1920 in the city of Seattle, King County, Washington. His father was a Canadian-born auto mechanic named Thomas Alfred Philp. Thomas Philp was married at least three times. He married Minerva Inez “Minnie” Burbank in British Columbia in 1901, Nina Keel in Whatcom County Washington in 1918, and Elsie May (maiden name unknown) in 1939. Thomas was still married to Minnie when he married Nina. He was charged with bigamy in 1922, and Minnie and Thomas divorced soon after.

Thomas and Nina Philp had two children, Robert W., and Bernice Philp. Another daughter, Dorothy, died in infancy in 1923. Nina was arrested for “insanity” on August 13, 1929 in Snohomish, Washington. She was committed to the Northern State Insane Asylum in Sedro-Wooley, Washington, where she died on November 2, 1929. In 1930, Thomas and his children lived in Everett, Snohomish County, Washington, where Thomas worked as an auto mechanic.

Robert William Philp registered for the draft on July 1, 1940. He was 20 years old, 5’6” tall, and weighed 135 pounds. He had black hair, green eyes, and a light complexion. Robert Philp married Marjorie Lorraine Strnard of Issaquah, Washington. Their son, Robert W. Philp, Jr., was born in 1942. Robert W. Philp, Sr. enlisted in the United States Army Medical Corps on March 6, 1943 in Santa Ana, California. He lived in Seattle, was married, and had a high school education.

Sergeant Robert W. Philp served in the 559th Bomb Squadron, 387th Bomb Group. The 559th was stationed in RAF Chipping Ongar in Essex, England. According to Missing Air Crew Report #11482, on December 23, 1944 Sgt. Philp was the Radio Gunner aboard B-26 Marauder #42-95869, nicknamed “Front Burner II.” The crew of seven left base for a bombing mission of Bastogne, Belgium. As they approached the target, the aircraft was shot down by a German fighter plane. Both engines caught on fire, and the plane crashed. All crew members were killed in the crash.

Because the bodies could not be individually identified, Sergeant Philp and his crewmates were buried in a group grave in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri (Section 82, Site 48). Sergeant Robert W. Philp was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.