Curtis joined the British Army in 1944, and was commissioned into The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry as a second lieutenant on 3 May 1946. Curtis was a 24-year-old lieutenant in The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry attached to the 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment during the Korean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross during the Battle of Imjin. On 22/23 April 1951 near the Imjin River, Korea, during a heavy enemy attack, No. 1 platoon under the command of Lieutenant Curtis, was ordered to carry out a counter-attack which was initially successful, but was eventually held up by heavy fire and grenades. The lieutenant then ordered some of his men to give covering fire while he himself rushed the main position of resistance. In this charge he was severely wounded but he insisted on making a second attempt. While making another desperate charge he was killed when within a few yards of his objective after throwing a grenade which destroyed the enemy position immediately after. Anthony Farrar-Hockley, one of Britain's most famous soldiers of the twentieth century, was a participant at the Imjin River battle. He was witness to Lieutenant Curtis' gallant deed, a desperate counterattack to regain a key position lost to the Chinese advance. At sunrise a Chinese attack was repulsed, but the British position was untenable. Below is part of Farrar-Hockley's account.
The War Office, 1st December 1953: The Queen has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Philip Kenneth Edward Curtis, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, attached The Gloucestershire Regiment, in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Korea. During the first phase of the Battle of the Imjin Riveron the night of 22nd/23rd April 1951, “A” Company, 1 Glosters, was heavily attacked by a large enemy force. By dawn on 23rd April, the enemy had secured a footing on the “Castle Hill’ site in very close proximity to No. 2 Platoon’s position. The Company Commander ordered No. 1 Platoon, under the command of Lieutenant CURTIS, to carry out a counter-attack with a view to dislodging the enemy from the position. Under the covering of medium machine guns, the counterattack, gallantly led by Lieutenant CURTIS, gained initial success but was eventually held up by heavy fire and grenades. Enemy from just below the crest of the hill were rushed to reinforce the position and a fierce fire-fight developed, grenades also being freely used by both sides in this close quarter engagement. Lieutenant CURTIS ordered some of his men to give him covering fire while he himself rushed the main position of resistance; in this charge Lieutenant CURTIS was severely wounded by a grenade. Several of his men crawled out and pulled him back under cover but, recovering himself, Lieutenant CURTIS insisted on making a second attempt. Breaking free from the men who wished to restrain him, he made anther desperate charge, hurling grenades as he went, but was killed by a burst of fire when within a few yards of his objective. Although the immediate objective of this counter-attack was not achieved, it had yet a great effect on the subsequent course of the battle; for although the enemy had gained a footing on a position vital to the defence of the whole Company area, this success had resulted in such furious reaction that they made no further effort to exploit their success in this immediate area; had they done so, the eventual withdrawal of the Company might well have proved impossible. Lieutenant CURTIS’s conduct was magnificent throughout this bitter battle.
