The parents of Philip Charles Smurthwaite were William Charles Smurthwaite of Bognor Sussex and Lucy Ellen Finch of Portsmouth Hampshire.
Philip Charles was the second child of 4 children born to the family Stanley Raymond 1925, Philip Charles 1926, Trevor William 1928, Theresa Joan 1932. All four children were born in Worthing.
Before Philips parents married his father, William Charles Smurthwaite enlisted in the Australian Imperial Army where during his time from 1915 to 1919 served as a Gunner for a month before being promoted to a Driver and posted to France in 1916. William returned to Australia in 1919 and was then discharged fit and healthy. He received The Star medal, The British War Medal and The Victory Medal when he returned home.
William Married Lucy Ellen Finch in 1924 in Portsmouth Hampshire.
By 1930, The family were living at 14 Heene Road in Worthing. Philips' father was working as a Sign Writer. In 1939 even though the family never moved to a new house, the house was changed to Number 66 which was a common occurrence. Many houses were just given names and with market gardens being replaced with houses, they subsequently renumbered all the houses in that road.
There is an entry in the County Kelly Directory under the heading of Sign painting that he was trading at Clarendon Yard Montague Street Worthing.
In 1931 Philip Charles was just 5 years old when he died of Leukaemia on 25th July at St Thomas's hospital in Lambeth London. Philip was laid to rest at Heene Cemetery on the 30th of July.
Philips parents remained in Worthing until his father died in 1963, His mother Lucy Ellen then moved to Cwmbran in Wales and died in Wales in 1972. Her daughter Theresa (Philips sister) had married and moved to Gwent with her husband.
Philips brother Stanley married and is now living in Canada with his family. Brother Trevor married and raised his family in Worthing.