MACLAREN-WEBB, Philip Mark
| Service Number: | 4324 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 13 October 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 54th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Semaphore, South Australia, Australia, 28 September 1884 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Pulteney Grammar, St Peter's College, Adelaide |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hackney St Peter's College Fallen Honour Board, V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 13 Oct 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4324 | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4324, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Sydney | |
| 20 Dec 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4324, 2nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Feb 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 54th Infantry Battalion | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4324, 54th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix) |
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Philip Mark MacLaren-Webb of Subiaco Western Australia was born at Semaphore South Australia. Prior to the war he was a farmer whose previous military experience consisted of the time he spent in the cadets while at St Peter's College and as a part time soldier in the South Australian Infantry.
In 1909 an anonymous Old Scholar who had just returned from Western Australia, wrote to the School Magazine about his visit to the property of ‘P.M.M. Webb (Little Sailor) an old S.P.S.C. boy 1900.’
He said Webb had a 500-acre property in the Dardadine District, which for the previous three years he been working on in an attempt to change it from a tangled forest to a habitable farm.
For 18 months or so he and his brother Frank have been living on 6/- weekly, their menu consisting of tea without additions of damper and treacle, varied occasionally by kangaroo or opossum flesh, when they had time to go shooting.[i]
The Webb brothers were living in a wood framed hut, which they had covered inside and out by sewing bags together and had carved out a nice garden around the hut in which they grew herbs and vegetables of all description.
It soon became evident that success had favoured the young men and whilst continuing to watch, these creatures (brumbies) emerged from a gully and stood at attention, shall I say considering the situation, I was surprised to find the captors close to me, their presence being made known by Philip yelling out with a mighty voice, ‘Buck in Saints.’ [ii]
Philip Webb enlisted under the name of MacLaren-Webb at Holsworthy, NSW in September 1915. He joined the 13th quota of reinforcement for the 2nd Battalion and sailed from Sydney aboard HMAT Aeneas on 20 December. Upon reaching Egypt, he was held in transit at the 1st Training Battalion, Zeitoun until he joined the 54th Battalion when it was raised at Tel-el-Kebir in February. Following the attack at Fromelles, Private Maclaren-Webb was listed as missing but a Court of Inquiry held on 4 August 1917 found he had been killed in action 19/20 July1916; he was 32 years of age. [iii]
Of the four Webb brothers who served in the AIF, two were killed and the other two invalided home.
Private Francis Russell Webb of the 16th Battalion was listed as missing after the attack on Bloody Angle on 2 May 1915 but like Philip, a Court of Inquiry later determined he was killed in action. [iv]
Private Albert Bindley ‘Sailor’ Webb (OS) of the 50th Battalion was invalided to Australia in 1918.
Chaplain Allan MacLaren Webb (OS) was attached to 14th Australian General Hospital, the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance and a number of other units before being invalided to Australia in 1918.
Fallen Saints
[i] St Peter’s School Magazine - W K Thomas & Co, Adelaide, May 1909, p. 9
[ii] ibid., p. 10
[iii] National Archives of Australia: B 2455, MacLaren-Webb Philip Mark / 1964124, viewed 19 June 2007
[iv] ibid, Webb Francis Russell / 8376968, viewed 20 June 2007
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