PHILLIPS, Ernest
| Service Numbers: | 1548, 1548A, V5489 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 6th Machine Gun Company |
| Born: | London, England, 3 July 1890 |
| Home Town: | Dimboola, Hindmarsh, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Hairdresser |
| Died: | Illness, Australia, 19 September 1945, aged 55 years |
| Cemetery: |
Springvale War Cemetery, Melbourne, Victoria Springvale War Cemetery, Springvale, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 12 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1548, 24th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 1548A, 24th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '14' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1548A, 24th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne | |
| 30 Oct 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 6th Machine Gun Company | |
| 22 Mar 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 1548, 6th Machine Gun Company, German Spring Offensive 1918, SW to head | |
| 22 Mar 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1548A, 6th Machine Gun Company, 3rd MD SW head concussion from April 1918 wounding. |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, V5489 | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Sergeant, V5489 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
How We Served
The final resting place for; - 1548, 1548a & V5489 Sergeant Ernest Phillips of Dimboola and Canterbury, Victoria, had been employed as a hairdresser when he first enlisted for War Service on the 12th of April 1915 and was allocated to reinforcements for the 24th Battalion 1st AIF.
Ernest was embarked for Egypt and further training, departing Australia on the 25th of June. From Egypt Ernest was sent to the trenches of Gallipoli on the 30th of August, and remained on duty until the general evacuation of the Dardanelles.
After his Unit's arrived back in Egypt, Ernest was to be with his Battalion when it was shipped to France, where they were disembarked on the 26th of March 1916.
From the time of his arrival, Ernest's service in the field would be continuous. On the 30th of October, Ernest was transferred over to the 6th Machine Gun Company, and aside bouts of illness Ernest would see service throughout Northern France and Flanders.
On the 22nd of March 1918 Ernest sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was evacuated for hospitalization, and by the 5th of April he had been admitted into the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford.
The wounds that Ernest had received, would see him repatriated back to Australia as an invalid, departing England on the 30th of June. Following further treatment after his return to Melbourne, Ernest received his official discharge from the 1st AIF for his re-entry into civilian life on the 22nd of March 1919.
With the outbreak of a second World War, Ernest again presented himself for enlistment for War Service on the 22nd of August 1940.
Accepted for full-time duty, Ernest would be based in Victoria serving with the Australian Military Forces on Home Service. Ernest’s last posting was with the 3rd Military District Records Office, where he was serving with when he was evacuated due to illness.
Whilst still being hospitalized, Ernest succumbed to illness on the 15th of September 1945, at the age of 55.
Following his passing, Sergeant Ernest Phillips, a veteran of two Wars, was formally interred within the Springvale War Cemetery, Victoria.
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