Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Published Biography
Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1, C Verco, A Summers, T Swain & M Jelly. July 2014

Additional Biography

Early Life

William James Ellery Phillips was born on the 18th of August 1891, the son of James Henry Phillips and Ester Jane Ellery (SA Birth Registration 485/308). William’s father James was a compositor at “The Advertiser”.

Education – Primary and Secondary

William attended Goodwood Public School where he passed his Primary Examinations in 1904, gaining sufficient marks to be offered an Exhibition to the Pupil Teachers’ School (later to become Adelaide High School in 1908). He was awarded the exhibition in January 1905.

William attended the Pupil Teachers’ School in 1905 and 1906. He passed his Junior Examinations in 1905 and three subjects in the Senior Examinations in December 1906.

William then attended Prince Alfred College, Adelaide for his final years at school, passing his Senior Examinations in 1907 and his Higher Public Examinations in 1908. William was awarded a scholarship to attend Adelaide University as an Evening Student in Science.

Adelaide University

William commenced studying for a Bachelor of Science at Adelaide University in 1909, however later was able to gain entry to study medicine after passing the prerequisite science subjects during 1909 and 1910. In March 1913, William was awarded the St Albans Scholarship.

William's student cards appear in the document.

William completed 5th Year Medicine in 1915 and his MB. BS. Degree was conferred on 6th of October 1915.

University Sport

Rowing
In August 1910 William rowed for the Science School in the Adelaide University Schools Regatta.

Football
William represented Adelaide University in A Grade football in the Amateur League for five seasons from 1911 to 1915. He was a member of the first Premiership team in the Amateur League in 1911. He competed in a match against PAC the same season. He was a member of the Adelaide University Intervarsity team on three occasions (1911, 1912 and 1914) and was awarded a Blue for Football in 1915. While at University he also competed for P.A.C. in Old Collegiate Football matches against St Peters.

World War I

William originally enlisted on the 30th of November 1914 but was discharged to complete his medical training. He re-enlisted on 26th February 1915. His WWI service is detailed well in the “Blood, Swear and Fears” biography.

William was awarded the Military Cross 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on 6th and 7th September 1918, during an advance on Roisel.

In early November 1918, William was transferred to the 1st Australian Convalescent Depot in Le Havre. He was given leave from the 18th of January until the 8th of February 1919. He then remained in France until June, then returning to England again on leave where he took positions in hospitals to gain further experience, including at East Cornwall, Plymouth and Great Northern Central Hospitals (December 1919). He is said to have also worked at Southampton. He remained in England until December 1919. He was then granted extended un-paid leave until the end of June 1920.

The French Connection

A newspaper article in 1938 states that William was at Villers Bretonneux, on the Western Front, France during WWI. William and his wife returned to Australia on the 19th August 1920. A report in the WA Newspapers in 1921 said that William’s wife was French.

The French generally had a great admiration and respect for the Allied Forces and many of our Australian men serving in France fell in love with local French girls, some they left behind and some they brought home. William had met Elsa Aimee Bideleux (b Marseille, France 5/6/1901) and they married on 18th June 1920 in Le Havre, France.

It is not clear when William and Elsa met and romanced, however in 1918 at the same time William was stationed in Le Havre, the 17-year-old was residing there with her father Arnold Bideleux (an English born businessman) and Swedish mother Anna. Arnold had been a champion English Rugby Union player who had been recruited to play in France in the 1890's for clubs in Le Havre and Marseille. He likely would have appreciated William's athletic past in Australia and that his daughter had fallen for a handsome Australian Medical Officer.

After their wedding in Le Havre on the 18th of June 1920, William now nearly 29 years of age and Elsa having only just turned 19 years, returned to Australia together the following month aboard the H. T. "Narkunda".

Leaving her family behind in Europe, Elsa and her new husband arrived back in Australia. William's A.A.M.C. appointment was formally terminated on 19th August 1920.

During 1921, according to Adelaide University records, he took the M.D. exam and then submitted an M.D. thesis in 1922. Unfortunately, he failed the M.D. exam, and his thesis was not approved.

In February 1921 William and Elsa had moved to Perth, Western Australia where he joined Dr Ferguson Stewart in his professional practice. William practiced from 106 Parker Street, West Guildford and from Perth Road, West Guildford. He was appointed medical officer for the West Guildford Road Board in August 1921. In August 1921 William accepted a position at the Fremantle Base Hospital.

A son, Peter Howard Phillips was born on the 21st of January 1922 at Miss Harvey’s Hospital, Aberdeen Street, Perth.

The 1922 WA Electoral Rolls show the family was living at 5 Bateman Street, Fremantle. William and Elsa were in Western Australia until at least March 1922.

In 1923, William, was listed as temporarily living at Mitchell Street, Hyde Park, South Australia (his parent's address).

Having graduated with a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from London University, William received a United Kingdom Colonial Office appointment in July 1923 as Medical Officer to the colony of the Malay Federated States in Kuala Lumpur, Malay Straits. Later newspaper reports state that William was in Tiaping and Jahore (both in Malaysia).

William and Elsa had two more children (Geoffrey and Anita). By 1932, William was now the Acting Director of Social Hygiene in Singapore.
William made a visit to Adelaide at Christmas time in 1933 and then departed on the 4th of January 1934 on the ‘Strathaird’, which was sailing for London.

After 12 years in Malaysia, William was posted to Cyprus in about 1934 and remained there for three years until October 1937. He was based at Nicosia while in Cyprus.

In the London, England, Electoral Register of 1936, William and Elsa were registered at her parent’s residence at 10 Morden Road, in the Electorate of Greenwich, London. At the time however they were still residing in Nicosia, Cyprus, with Arnold and Anna Bideleux apparently visiting them.

Elsa returned to the Port of London from Nicosia in April 1937 and was to reside with her parents at Morden Rd Blackheath adjacent to Greenwich.

In October 1937, William was appointed by the U.K. Imperial Government as senior medical officer in Palestine with their headquarters at Jerusalem.

On the 11th of May 1939 William was present at the Old Reds (P.A.C. Old Scholars) reunion dinner in London at the Connaught Rooms.

He returned to Jerusalem and was visited there by South Australian Cpl. Douglas Dollman, the son of Colonel Dollman.

In mid-1944, William had a pleasant meeting with Sir Howard Florey, who was in Jerusalem demonstrating the use of penicillin.

In January 1945, William retired after 28 years of Colonial Office service. The family then move to England.

By June 1946, William was working in Austria for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). While he was with the UNRRA he was a medical officer at the Belsen prison in Germany.

William was back in England before September 1946 and living at Blackheath when he was fined £10 for ‘souveniring’ four chairs from the local sports club.

In 1948, William visited his elderly father in South Australia. He came via the Suez Canal as a ship’s surgeon and returned to London via the Panama Canal, having visited and provided medical assistance to the residents of Pitcairn Island.

Death

William and Elsa then moved to Cannes, France, where on Christmas Day, 25th of December 1952, William died aged 61. The report (see document) mentions his widow and two sons; however, he was also survived by his daughter, Anita (also known as Tita) who married Edmund Purdom, an actor in 1951 and was the mother of his children, Lilan (born 11th of October 1952) and Marina Ann (born 8th of July 1954), the couple divorced 1956).

Elsa died on 1 April 1997 in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France, at the age of 95, not far from Le Havre where 78 years earlier she had met her Australian husband.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.