Service Details:

17 May	1915                      Enlisted, Tasmania
August	1915                      Embarked Egypt
10 Sept. – 12 Dec.	1915                      Gallipoli
21 March	1916                      France
6/7 June	1916                      Trench Raid
29 July	1916                      Wounded,Pozieres (Sausage Valley)
4 August	1916                      Pozieres
20 September	1916                      Returned to Unit
October	1916                      Ypres and Dernacourt
3 November	1916                      Battle of Ancres Heights & Fricourt
7 Decemberr	1916                      Promoted 2nd Lieutenant
February	1917                      Warlencourt
March	1917                      Attack on Malt Trench
9 March	1917                      Promoted Lieutenant
30 March	1917                      Seconded for training in England
8 September	1917                      Returned to France
18 September	1917                      Ypres
4 October	1917                      Wounded
20 January	1918                      Rejoined Battalion
7 April	1918                      Dernacourt
20 April	1918                      Ville Sur-Ancre
May	1918                      Morlancourt
27 June	1918                      Villers-Bretonneux
8 August	1918                      Battle of Amiens
29 August	1918                      Somme
2 Sept	1918                      Mont St. Quentin
11 November	1918                      Armistice
3 July	1919                      Discharged

 

 

Biographical Details:

Henry George McPhillips was born in Launceston, Tasmania, to Parents James McPhillips and Mary Nelson, in 1883. He had two brothers, William (1886) and Albert (1891), and a sister, Eileen (1888).  His brother William enlisted with the 40th Battalion in 1917, served in Europe and returned to Australia in November 1918.
 Henry was a bridge carpenter before he enlisted. After attesting at Claremont in May 17th he travelled to Brisbane to embark with the newly formed 26th Battalion on 24th May.
When he volunteered for the Trench Raid, McPhillips, already a Sergeant, was attached to Captain Caless’s Left Bombing Party as his senior NCO. He is No. 17 in the Black ANZACs’ group photograph.
Soon after the trench Raid, Henry was wounded at Pozieres. He returned to his unit two months later and in December was appointed 2nd Lieutenant.
In March 1917 Henry was again promoted (Lieutenant) and spent 6 months training with various units in England. After returning to France he was wounded again in October 1917 and August 1918. On the last occasion he received a gunshot wound to his right shoulder which saw him invalided to England and convalescing until November. He did not return to France.
Henry was hospitalised for two months in May 1919 with influenza. Presumably this was the Spanish Flu which killed millions of people following the war.
In 1919, before returning to Australia, Henry was required to sign a declaration that he had no outstanding financial claims against him. This was in response to Claims that officers were returning to Australia before clearing debts.
Henry’s Appointment was terminated in 1920. In 1922 he met and married Violet Doherty. It is not known if they had children. Nor is it known when he died but in 1944 he was with the Transport Section of the Post Master General Department. In 1961 he wrote to the AIF seeking a copy of his discharge certificate and in 1967 he applied for the ANZAC Medal.