PHILLIPS Russell Wyatt

Russell Wyatt Phillips was the seventh or eighth and twin child of John Jabez Phillips and Hortense Lucie S. Wyatt. He was a man of 24 years and 4 months when he enlisted for the Great War on 02 September 1914 at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His occupation was a stock and station agent at the time. He was described as 5 feet 10 ½ inches (179cm) tall. He weighed 11 stones (70kg) and had a dark complexion with dark brown eyes and light brown hair. Russell had a distinctive scar on the third finger of his left hand and another scar on the calf of his left leg. He noted his religion as Church of England. Russell was a married man and listed his wife, Mrs. Judith Lily Phillips who was living at 8 Adelaide Street, Woollahra, New South Wales at the time, as his next of kin.

On 20 October 1914, Private Russell W. Phillips of 1 A.F.A. (Aust. Field Ambulance) boarded the HMAT “Euripides” at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia to serve his King and country. Russell was a stretcher bearer with 1 A.F.A. and he proceeded to join the M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli on 05 April 1915. He was admitted to hospital some weeks later with rheumatism. In June, Russell was invalided to Australia. On 09 July 1915, when the H.T. “Kyarra” was docked at Fremantle, Western Australia, Russell broke ship without leave and was fined 10/-. He was discharged from the A.I.F. on 30 September 1915, medically unfit.

In December 1915, Judith wrote a letter to the Officer in Charge of Base Records, Melbourne, asking why her husband had returned from Egypt in July. A reply was written, informing her of his rheumatism.