Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Philip Henry DUDLEY was born in Cunnamulla, Queensland on 16 June 1915. He was the last child born to William Henry and Elizabeth Anne DUDLEY. Philip was born a few months before his father joined the Army and was sent overseas. His nickname was 'Tim' because of a childhood prank involving a bucket of tar - hence 'Little Timmy Tar Legs'. Philip was a tall man, 5ft 11, had dark hair and complexion and piercing green eyes. He was of slender build and very handsome. It is said that he was quite a ladies' man. In his early years he was a drover and then came to the city at the age of 19. At around this time, the

early 1930's, he may have spent time in Boggo Road Goal, Brisbane on a minor theft charge, although research of prison records that are available for the period do not confirm this.

 He met Florence May BERGER, born 19 March 1915 in Glen Innes. She was a housemaid and a country girl and her family came from the Glen Innes and Tenterfield regions. Philip and Florence were married on the 17 March 1935 at St. Stephen's Catholic Cathedral, just two days before her 20th birthday and two months before the birth of their first child. He was 19, almost 20. They lived in Brisbane for a while and Leone Margaret DUDLEY was born at Lady Bowen Hospital, Wickham Terrace 14th May 1935. The family then moved to Toowoomba where Philip got a job on the wheat board. Their second child, a son Barry Ronald DUDLEY was born on 31 October 1936. A third daughter Beverly Ann DUDLEY was born in Brisbane on 7th February 1938.

 Philip enlisted in the Army on 7th May 1941. QX18084 Private Philip Henry DUDLEY served at home and overseas with the 2/9th Battalion. He saw service in the Middle East and New Guinea. Whilst Philip was away, Florence and the children lived in Water Street, Toowoomba. They then move back to Brisbane and lived with Philip's sister Rita and her family at 44 Grey Street, South Brisbane. Finally they moved to Cribb Island during the last period of the war.

 After Philip was discharged from the Army on 13 December 1945, the family moved to the Brisbane suburb of Paddington, where he worked for some time as a labourer and then became a tram driver for the Brisbane City Council.

Philip and Florence where devoiced in 1953. Following the devoice Florence went back to Tenterfield, where she remarried, Stuart Warren COOPER born 10th July 1915, he was a meatworker and border gate keeper. Philip was to remain single for the remainder of his life and lived at 4 First Street, in the Brisbane Suburb of Virginia.  

When trams became obsolete in the late 1960's Philip moved on to driving buses for the city. He held this job until he was forced to retire due to ill health in about 1969. During the 1960 and 70's Philip was an active member of the 2/9th Battalion association and served as secretary for many years.

 Philip was recognised as a Totally and Permanently Incapacitated ex-serviceman in 1970 and spent much of his last years in repatriation hospitals at Kenmore and Greenslopes in Brisbane. He died in the Greenslopes hospital from a heart attack and chronic lung disease on 10th July 1977 and was cremated at Albany Creek crematorium on 13th July 1977.