Born at Sheffield on 13 November 1882, the third child and second son of Alfred Reckless, MRCS 1873, and Helena Herbert Hall, his wife. He was educated at Bedford College, at the Sheffield Medical School, and at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. He served as junior house surgeon at Sheffield Royal Infirmary, and as senior house surgeon at Leicester Royal Infirmary, and then began general practice at Sheffield. During the war of 1914-18, Reckless was commissioned captain, RAMC, on 1 January 1917, and was posted as a surgical specialist to No 9 General Hospital at Rouen. Later he served at the Wharncliffe War Hospital at Sheffield. He resumed practice at Sheffield in 1918, and became surgeon to the Children's Hospital, and medical officer to the Post Office. In 1926 Reckless became a deputy regional officer of the Ministry of Health for the Manchester region, and moved to Stockport, Cheshire. After a few years he moved to London, and settled at Richmond, Surrey. He was promoted a regional officer, and returned to Stockport. Reckless married in 1914 Mabel Jones, who survived him with two sons and a daughter. The elder son, David (MB BS London), practised at Leeds as an anaesthetist (DA RCPS 1944). Philip Reckless died at Stockport on 15 August 1948, aged 65, and was buried at Fulwood, Sheffield.