Sergeant Harry Phillips

SERGEANT HARRY PHILLIPS 1126 – 3rd Tunnelling Company

Glenelg, South Australia was stated to be the birthplace of Harry Phillips and was registered as Henry Thomas George Phillips, born on August 8, 1878 in Adelaide, South Australia. His parents were Luke and Louisa (nee Still) Phillips. His father died on March 16, 1879 aged thirty-three years in Adelaide and his mother remarried to Arthur Fisher and was residing at Redfern in Sydney, New South Wales in 1913.

Harry went mining on the goldfields of Western Australia.

At the recruiting depot at Kalgoorlie, W.A. on October 14, 1915 the thirty-six year old miner applied to enlist for active service abroad and passed the medical examination. Attestation forms describe him as 160cms (5ft 3ins) tall, weighing 70kgs (154lbs) with a chest expansion of 84-89cms (33-35ins). Complexion was fair with blue eyes and had fair hair. Distinctive marks were a scar on the outside of his left arm and a tattoo of a bracelet and heart on his right arm. Religious faith was Church of England. Next-of-kin nominated was his mother Mrs Louisa Fisher of 122 Wells Street, Redfern, Sydney, NSW. He was sworn in at Blackboy Hill, near Perth the same day.

Basic training commenced with the 33rd Depot Battalion until November 30 when he was allotted to the Miners’ Corps.

Recruiting for the Miners’ Corps officially began on December 1st, 1915 therefore Private Phillips was placed for basic training at the Helena Vale camp at Blackboy Hill, W.A. with the newly forming Corps. The Unit’s title was the No. 3 Company with a major portion of No. 3 Company recruited by 2nd Lt. L.J. Coulter, A.I.F. who was sent from N.S.W. to W.A. for that purpose. They were made up to strength with 1 Officer and 274 Other Ranks and embarked from Fremantle, W.A.

No.3 Company recruits at Blackboy Hill, 3 December 1915 & on Parade - 16 December 1915 Photos courtesy Graeme Williams, grandson of 1202 Spr Charles Williams – 3ATC

On December 18, 1915 the company sailed for Sydney, NSW on board the troopship SS Indarra. His name appears on the passenger list which was published in:

The West Australian Saturday December 18, 1915: INDARRA’S PASSENGERS The following passengers are booked to leave by the Indarra to-day: Messrs….H. Phillips Article abridged

On Boxing Day (Dec 26th), 1915 the Unit arrived in Sydney and marched into Casula Camp, near Liverpool, NSW. They were joined by the 4th Section of the Tasmanian Miners, bringing the establishment strength up to 15 officers and 349 Other Ranks under the command of 2nd Lieutenant L.J. Coulter. Mining Corps Units from all Military districts came together at Casula camp, near Liverpool, NSW to complete training as a Corps. Phillips was assigned the regimental number 1126 in the rank of Sapper and remained in No. 3 Company.

At a civic parade in the Domain, Sydney on Saturday February 19, 1916, a large crowd of relations and friends of the departing Miners lined the four sides of the parade ground. Sixty police and 100 Garrison Military Police were on hand to keep the crowds within bounds. The scene was an inspiriting one. On the extreme right flank, facing the saluting base, were companies of the Rifle Club School; next came a detachment of the 4th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, then the bands of the Light Horse, Liverpool Depot, and the Miners’ on the left, rank upon rank, the Miners’ Battalion.

The Corps boarded HMAT A38 Ulysses in Sydney, NSW on February 20 and sailed for the European theatre. Arriving in Melbourne, Victoria on February 22 the Miners camped at Broadmeadows for a stay of 7 days while further cargo was loaded.

Another parade was held at the Broadmeadows camp on March 1, the Miners’ Corps being inspected by the Governor-General, as Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth military forces.

Leaving Melbourne on March 1, Ulysses arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia on March 7 where a further 53 members were taken on board.

On Wednesday March 8, 1916 the whole force, with their band and equipment, paraded at Fremantle prior to leaving Victoria Quay at 9.30 o’clock.

The ship hit a reef when leaving Fremantle harbour, stripping the plates for 40 feet and, although there was a gap in the outside plate, the inner bilge plates were not punctured. The men on board nicknamed her ‘Useless’. The Miners were off-loaded and sent to the Blackboy Hill Camp where further training was conducted.

The Mining Corps comprised 1303 members at the time they embarked with a Headquarters of 40; No.1 Company – 390; No.2 Company – 380; No.3 Company – 392, and 101 members of the 1st Reinforcements.

Finally departing Fremantle on April 1, Ulysses voyaged via Suez, Port Said and Alexandria in Egypt. The Captain of the ship was reluctant to take Ulysses out of the Suez Canal because he felt the weight of the ship made it impossible to manoeuvre in the situation of a submarine attack. The troops were transhipped to HM Transport B.1 Ansonia, then on to Valetta, Malta before disembarking at Marseilles, France on May 5, 1916. As a unit they entrained at Marseilles on May 7 and detrained on May 11 at Hazebrouck.

A ‘Mining Corps’ did not fit in the British Expeditionary Force, and the Corps was disbanded and three Australian Tunnelling Companies were formed. The Technical Staff of the Corps Headquarters, plus some technically qualified men from the individual companies, was formed into the entirely new Australian Electrical and Mechanical Mining and Boring Company (AEMMBC), better known as the ‘Alphabetical Company’.

Four sections of the No. 3 Company were dispersed to various sectors for instructional training.

On May 21, 1916 the following disciplinary action was administered:

Offence: Absenting himself without leave from billet from 3p.m. 20/5/16 to 8a.m. 21/5/16 (17 hours) Award: 20 days F.P. No. 1 [Field Punishment] Forfeiture: 22 day’s pay on 22/5/16 The No. 3 Company was officially transferred to the 3rd Tunnelling Company in the field on December 18, 1916.

He went sick to the 73rd Field Ambulance with mumps on March 5, 1917 and transferred to the 7th General Hospital at St Omer. On March 19 was moved to the 4th Stationary Hospital at Arques and the next day was discharged to rejoin his unit returning on March 26.

Appointment to the rank of Lance Corporal took place on October 6, 1917. Six days later was promoted to be Temporary 2nd Corporal due to Corporal Thring reverting to Sapper then was to be 2nd Corporal on November 19, 1917 as a result of Corporal Robertson being evacuated. On December 12 he became Temporary Lance Corporal because Corporal Yeardye was promoted to Temporary Corporal.

He went sick to the 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance on February 1, 1918 with scabies (skin irritation caused by Itch Mite whose eggs are laid under the skin’s outer layer) then moved to the 4th Canadian F.A. Due to his evacuation to hospital he reverted to the rank of 2nd Corporal. He rejoined his unit from hospital on February 11, 1917.

He was issued with three Blue Chevrons to wear on his uniform for serving two years abroad.

On April 4, 1918 he was promoted to Corporal after Temporary Sergeant Yeardye was promoted on March 18, 1918.

His name is mentioned in the Unit Diary of the 3rd Tunnelling Company as follows attending courses:

“On 16/8/18, the following N.C.O.’s were detailed to attend a 5 weeks Infantry course at the Aust Corps Depot, in order to raise the efficiency of N.C.O.’s and fit them to train and command their reliefs and be prepared to train instructors: -

1251 Sgt Barsby, N. 1126 Cpl Phillips, H. 4250 “ Bocksette, W.F. 1172 “ Searle, W.N.

The attached reports of N.C.O.s of your Coy who attended the Infantry Course at Aust Corps School during the period 24.8.18 to 21.9.18 are forwarded for your information. AUST CORPS SCHOOL 10th INFANTRY COURSE from 24.8.18 to 21.9.18 1126 Cpl Phillips, H. Deportment Poor Keenness & Attentiveness Fair Control in the Field Fair Instructional Powers Nil Progress Made Very Fair General Remarks: ~ Whether Considered (c) Unsuitable for Commission”

He was promoted to Sergeant on October 26, 1918 due to Sergeant Goodwin’s promotion to Staff- Sergeant on October 1.

Sergeant was with his unit when Peace was declared and the Tunnelling Companies remained on the front as part of the Army of Occupation assisting with the rehabilitation of their district by clearing roads and bridges of booby traps left by the enemy.

Leave was France was granted from January 19 and returned on February 3, 1919.

He was admitted to the 27th Casualty Clearing Station on February 22, 1919 with Influenza and returned to duty on March 7. Orders were received on March 10, 1919 to report to the Aust Infantry Base Depot to prepare for demobilisation. On March 17 they departed Havre and crossed the English Channel marching into the 2nd Training Brigade camp at Codford to await their voyage home.

Sergeant Phillips embarked for Australia on May 11, 1919 on board H.T. Zealandia. Base Records advised his next-of-kin on June 4, 1919 that he was returning home. The ship docked Sydney (2nd M.D.) on July 1, 1919. News of their arrival was published in the:

Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday July 1, 1919: RETURNED SOLDIERS ARRIVING TO-DAY The following are the altered arrangements for the reception of returned soldiers by the Zealandia, the Orontes, and the Wahene, who will arrive in Sydney to-day. Holders of tickets marked “Zealandia” or “Wahene” will be admitted to the Anzac Buffet shortly before 9 a.m. Those who have tickets marked “Orontes” will be admitted at 2 p.m. Troops by the Wahene and the Zealandia will disembark at 9 a.m. Cars numbered on the Red Cross register from 54 to 159 are required to be at No. 1 wharf, Woolloomooloo, at 2.30 p.m. Article abridged

Sydney Morning Herald Wednesday July 2, 1919: The Zealandia brought 439 men for New South Wales and about 140 for Queensland. Article abridged

Military Discharge was issued in Sydney (2nd M.D.) on August 23, 1919 on termination of his period of enlistment.

Sergeant 1126 Harry Phillips, 3rd Tunnelling Company was issued for serving his country the British War Medal (34039) and the Victory Medal (33605).

A Statement of his Service was requested by the Sydney branch of the Repatriation Commission from Base Records and forwarded on November 10, 1938.

In 1949 he was a farm worker residing at Terrigal, Gosford, NSW. Two years later was a witness at a Court hearing after having his money stolen which was reported in the:

Gosford Times and Wyong District Advocate Tuesday May 23, 1950: FOUR MONTHS GOAL FOR STEALING £41 Richard James Graham Rosa, 18, labourer, was sentenced to four months goal with hard labour by Mr V.H. Johnson SM at Gosford Court of Petty Sessions yesterday on a charge of stealing. Police said that Rosa stole £41 in cash from Henry Thomas Phillips at Terrigal on October 23. Detective Sergeant Bruce John Catts, stationed at Goulburn told Mr Johnston that when he saw Rosa at the Goulburn Training Centre on November 22, the youth admitted the theft. “Rosa told me that he had spent the money,” said Detective Catts. Henry Thomas Phillips, pensioner of Terrigal, said that at the time of the theft he and Rosa had been employed at Strath-Haven guest house, Terrigal. Phillips said that he had left the money in a suit of clothes in his room while he had a shower. He did not look at the money when he returned but when he looked about two hours later it was missing. He did not see Rosa after this he said.

Harry Phillips died on September 26, 1952 aged 74 years. His demise was announced in the: Gosford Times and Wyong District Advocate Tuesday September 30, 1952: MR T.G.H. PHILLIPS Mr Henry George Thomas Phillips, of The Scenic Way, Terrigal, died on Friday, aged 74 years. Mr Phillips was a bachelor. The funeral left Mr Groghens parlours on Saturday for the Point Clare Cemetery. Rev. G.F. Fisher officiating.

His grave is located in the Church of England section 8 of Point Clare Cemetery, Gosford within Row 17 in Plot no. 17.

The inscription reads: Henry George Thomas (Harry) Phillips 1126 Sergt 3ATC An Anzac Son of Louise Aged 74 years Died 26th September, 1952