Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George Henry PHILLIPS was born in 1887 in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia to parents Sarah and William PHILLIPS.  In 1911, George married Harriet Rosina SHARP in Sydney.  The following year, they had a daughter, Rose.

A married 27 year old labourer living in Lidcombe at the time, George enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Randwick, Sydney, on 29th August 1914.  He was appointed as a Private, regimental number 724, and allocated to "F" Company of the 1st Infantry Battalion.  George commenced his recruit training at Randwick Racecourse, where he was billetted in the grandstands.  On 29th August, the 1st Battalion moved to Kensington Racecourse (now the site of the University of NSW campus), where they were to live under canvas and train for the next 6 weeks.  Musketry practises were conducted at the nearby Long Bay Rifle Range.

At 0900hrs on Sunday 18th October 1914, George marched with his Battalion from their Kensington Racecourse training camp down to Circular Quay, where they were taken by ferry to Farm Cove, and embarked aboard HMAT Afric for active service overseas, via Albany.  They arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, about 0800hrs on 5th December, where they later disembarked and proceeded to Cairo by train.  The 1st Infantry Battalion arrived at Mena Camp, in the shadow of the pyramids, on 8th December.  They went on their first route march in the blisteringly hot desert sand just 2 days later, and underwent rigorous training there for the next 4 months.

Following a re-organisation of the structure of AIF infantry battalions, the 1st Battalion was changed from eight companies to four on 1st January 1915.  During this process, the men of "F" and "G" Companies formed the new "D" Company, of which George became a member.  By the end of March, the 1st Battalion were being exercised in attacks on trenches held by the 2nd Brigade, both day and night, and were going on route marches of up to 16 miles.  On 29th March, the 1st Battalion were inspected by General Sir Ian Hamilton, and on 2nd April, they received orders to prepare for embarkation.

On 5th April 1915, the 1st Infantry Battalion embarked aboard HMT Minnewaska in Alexandria, to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF).  After five days of loading up, the ship left Alexandria at 0730hrs on 10th April, and arrived at Mudros Harbour, on the island of Lemnos, two days later.  Here, the Battalion practised embarking and disembarking from boats for three days, before going ashore to further practise attacks with the rest of the 1st Brigade on the 16th.  After again going ashore for a route march and to bathe on the 17th, they continued a routine of working in boats until the 22nd, when windy weather confined them to the ship.  During this time the Battalion commanders had received Operational Order No. 1, and at 0500hrs on the 24th April, the Battalion left Mudros Harbour, with the Minnewaska proceeding to a rendezvous point in the bay to the North of Lemnos.  At 2330hrs that night, the ships carrying the 1st Brigade left the rendezvous, and proceeded to Gallipoli, where the Minnewaska arrived with the 1st Battalion at 0500hrs on the 25th April.

The Battalion commenced disembarkation at 0615hrs, and landed without loss by 0740.  About 0830hrs, the Commanding Officer received orders to send a Company forward, and five minutes later, "B" Company were sent on their way.  The rest of the Battalion arrived to reinforce the firing line by 1000hrs.  The 1st Battalion remained there for the next four days, before being rested for two.

By 2nd May, the 1st Battalion were manning a defensive line alongside two Companies of the 4th Battalion.  Together, they worked at improving and digging new trenches day and night, while coming under continuous unaimed fire from the Ottomans.  This continued until the 5th, when they extended communication trenches on both flanks.  Heavy shelling began on their position on the 6th, and lasted for some hours, also targetting the beach, with much the same the next day.  About 2200hrs on the 9th May, the enemy attacked the 4th Brigade's position, to the left of the 1st Battalion, and the 1st were ordered to open fire.  It was during this action that they suffered the first casualties, with an Officer wounded and three men killed.  The 18th May saw two high explosive shells land in their trenches, and a four hour long enemy attack the next day, with heavy losses.

On 6th August 1915, the 1st Infantry Brigade (which consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions) initiated an attack on the Turkish trenches, in what would become known as the Battle of Lone Pine.  At 1600hrs, an Allied bombardment signalled the beginning, with a heavy artillery duel erupting about 1723hrs, resulting in Australian casualties at Brown's Dip.   "A" Company of the 1st Battalion advanced at 1742hrs with bayonets fixed, with George's "D", then "B" Companies moving forward to reinforce them, about 20 minutes apart.  Under constant fire, they encountered heavily fortified enemy trenches, with thick pine logs dug in over the top of them, which required a determined effort to penetrate.  By 1900hrs, all three of the 1st Battalion companies had consolidated a central position in the captured trenches at Lone Pine, along with the 3rd Infantry Battalion.  At 2000hrs, "C" Company of the 1st Battalion joined them.

With August having been a strenuous month for the 1st Infantry Battalion, who had suffered heavy casualties, they were relieved by 7th Battalion and left the trenches of Gallipoli on 8th September, to be rested.  The 1st Battalion departed ANZAC Cove at 0615hrs on 9th September, and arrived on the island of Lemnos at midday.  After disembarking, they proceeded to a tented camp at West Mudros.  As a result of heavy rain, the camp had to be relocated to higher ground on 16th September.

On 18th September 1915, George was evacuated by the 1st Field Ambulance, to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital in West Mudros, with diarrhoea.  He was later admitted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital with severe dysentery, but transferred to Gibraltar on the Hospital Ship Caledonia on 7th October, where he was admitted to the British Military Hospital.  On 25th October, George was transferred to England, where he was admitted to the 2nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol, on 31st October 1915.  Having subsequently recovered in the ANZAC Base Convalescent Depot in Weymouth, Dorset, George was discharged to rejoin the MEF on 14th February 1916. 

With the entire AIF having evacuated from Gallipoli in December 1915, George rejoined the 1st Infantry Battalion in Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt, on 20th February 1916.  Nine days later, they moved with the rest of the 1st Brigade to Serapeum, on the Suez Canal.  Following a period of reorganisation and training after the Gallipoli campaign, the 1st Infantry Battalion embarked in Alexandria aboard HMT Ivernia on 22nd March 1916, arriving in Marseilles, France, on the 28th.  After a lengthy train journey, they entered the trenches at Rifle Villa, in the Petillon Sector, near where the Laies River passed through the front line, on 19th April.

On 23rd July 1916, the opening day of the Battle of Pozières, George was wounded in action when, during a bayonet charge, a high explosive artillery shell caused him to be partially buried.  He dug himself out and crawled back 200 yards, and was assisted out of the crater, and conveyed to the 2nd Field Ambulance with shell shock and weakness in both legs.  He was transferred to the Casualty Clearing Station, then the Ambulance Train on the same day.  On 24th July, George was admitted to the No. 16 General Hospital in Le Treport, France.

George embarked in Le Havre aboard the HMHS Lanfranc for return to England, on 13th August 1916.  After recovering in No. 3 Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford, he marched into No. 2 Command Depot in Weymouth on 14th November.  This was  where convalescing AIF soldiers who weren't expected to return to front line service immediately, were sent.  George had been diagnosed with spinal trauma, in addition to shell shock.

On 13th February 1917, George embarked in Plymouth, England aboard HMAT Ulysses, for return to Australia.  He arrived in Sydney on 14th April, and was discharged as medically unfit on 17th May 1917.  For his service, George was later awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, as well as the Silver War Badge (no. A13742) and the Discharged Returned Soldier's Badge.  His service qualified for the award of the Anzac Commemorative Medallion, which was instituted in 1967.

George Henry PHILLIPS died in the Prince of Wales Repatriation Hospital in Randwick on 3rd March 1935.  He was 47 years old.  George was interred* in the Botany Cemetery, now known as the Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park, in Matraville, Sydney on 5th March.  (*His grave is still unmarked, as at time of writing in Feb 2026)

Compiled by Karan CAMPBELL-DAVIS from historical records held by the National Archives of Australia (Service Record);  Australian War Memorial (1st Inf Bn Unit War Diaries);  The history of the First Battalion A.I.F. 1914-1919;  BIrths, Deaths & Marriages NSW;  Find A Grave website;  the Daily Advertiser of 15th March 1935;  and telephone enquiry to Eastern Suburbs Memorial Park on 20 Feb 2026.