Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Phillip was the son of John and Ann Owen, of Sunny View, Lower Brynamman, Carmarthenshire. He migrated to Australia together with a brother in 1911.

Phillip was the son of John and Anne Owen, Sunny View, Lower Brynamman. He had served an apprenticeship in Swansea as a Carpenter, and decided to emigrate to Australia with his brother Morgan in around 1910/11. The brothers set up home at Dorrigo, New South Wales, and had settled into life in their New World well. But in August 1914 Australia was called upon to help defend the Empire, when Britain declared war on Germany. On 14 October 1914 Phillip enlisted at Rosehill into the 4th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. The nucleus of the Battalion had already been formed, and so Phillip became part of the 1st reinforcements to the Battalion. The original Battalion left Sydney on 20 October 1914, bound for Egypt. Phillip sailed later with the 1st reinforcements, and joined the Battalion at Mena Camp, Egypt on 7 February 1915. The Battalion then spent the next few months training in Egypt in preparation for a move to the Western Front, but it had been decided to open up a second front against Turkey, and so the Battalion moved to Mudros in the Mediterranean, and from there made a landing under heavy fire on the shores of Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. Phillip survived the Battalions famous charge at Lone Pine, but was taken ill on 23 August 1915 and evacuated to Mudros, and then to England for treatment. On 6 March 1916 he re-joined the Battalion in Egypt, and on 23 March the Battalion shipped to Marseilles, where they joined the BEF on the Western Front. The Battalion formed part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Australian Division, and moved to positions in the Nursery Sector near Fleurbaix and Fromelles. In July 1916 the Battle of the Somme opened, and the 1st Australian Division were brought south to the Somme, where they took part in the Battle of Pozieres. The Division managed against all the odds to capture the German positions on Pozieres Ridge, and were moved to Warloy Baillon for a rest. On 17 August 1916 the Division was brought back into the line, and took up positions south of Mouquet Farm. The farm was a formidable German stronghold, the capture of which was vital to the British plans to roll north and capture the German positions at Thiepval. On the following day the 4th Battalion attacked Mouquet Farm, but were repulsed at a heavy cost in lives. They tried again over the following days, but were again held and were brought out of the line on 21 August after suffering terrible losses. Phillip had been reported missing during the attacks on Mouquet Farm and it was a few days later that he was officially recorded as being killed in action on 19 August 1916. He was 28 years old.

He is honoured on the Brynamman War Memorial

The mining Community of Brynamman is split by the River Amman, which divides Upper and Lower Brynamman, and also acts as the boundary between the Counties of Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.