BECK, Phillip Oswald
| Service Number: | 15892 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 October 1916, Melbourne, Vic. |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Divisional Signal Company |
| Born: | Mossiface, Victoria, Australia, 28 July 1898 |
| Home Town: | Clifton Hill, Yarra, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Tongio West State School 3419, St Arnaud High School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Salesman |
| Died: | Illness (Meningitis), Military Hospital, Devonport, England, 15 January 1917, aged 18 years |
| Cemetery: |
Plymouth (Efford) Cemetery, Devon, England, R.C. Row C, Grave No. 3465 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Omeo Tongio West State School 3419 Roll of Honor |
Biography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Henry Nicholas and Alice Ann BECK, 45 Murray Street, Elsternwick, Victoria.
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 15th January…… Phillip Oswald Beck was born at Mossiface, East Gippsland, Victoria on 28th July, 1898.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 5th October, 1916 as an 18 year old, single, Salesman from 239 Gold Street, Clifton Hill, Victoria.
As Phillip Oswald Beck was under the age of 21, his parents were required to sign their consent for their son to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) for active service abroad. H. N. Beck & A. A. Beck both signed their names on a letter dated 5th May, 1916.
Sapper Phillip Oswald Beck, Service number 15892, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Ulysses (A38) on 25th October, 1916 with the 2nd Divisional Signal Company, 17th Reinforcements. He was admitted to Ship’s Hospital on 9th December, 1916 with Cerebro Spinal Meningitis. Sapper Beck disembarked at Plymouth, England on 28th December, 1916.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
He was transferred from H.M.A.T. A 38 & admitted to Devonport Military Hospital on 28th December, 1916 – sick severe. The Transfer Certificate recorded “Meningitis progressing slowly. Cot case. To be swung off.” The Hospital Admissions form recorded “A severe case….”. He was reported to be dangerously ill with “Disease No. 5” on 5th January, 1917.
Sapper Phillip Oswald Beck died at 6.35 am on 15th January, 1917 at Military Hospital, Devonport, England from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis.
He was buried in Efford Cemetery, Plymouth, Devon, England where 48 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
From information provided by his mother for the Roll of Honour: “On his 18th birthday he was rejected as unfit for military service but on applying again he was allowed to go under observation in Melbourne Hospital. On 5 October 1916 he went to camp at Seymour, attached to the Engineers. On 25 October 1916 he sailed on A38, became ill and never regained consciousness after landing in England. He died of meningitis in Devonport Military Hospital.”
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/a---f.html
Click images to start slideshow.