Elzear Basil Phillips, (Joe) was born on the 21st
July 1903 in Hamilton, Victoria but grew up in Middle Park. His stay at Christian
Brothers College St. Kilda was not long and he went to work at Windsor Hardware
near the corner of Chapel and High Streets, Prahran, Victoria. On the weekends
he did long distance running and in his early 20’s surprised everyone by
announcing he wanted to become a Carmelite and be a priest. In 1929 he joined
the Carmelite Order as a novice. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Werribee
and whilst he found study difficult, he was ordained in 1936.
He enlisted into the Australian Army on the 26th
July 1940 from Adelaide South Australia and as a Chaplain sailed for the Middle
East with the 2nd A.I.F. (Australian Infantry Force) and served in
Africa, Palestine and Syria. Returning home with the troops he was with them
for jungle warfare training and then saw action in New Guinea and Borneo.
Fig.1 Chaplain 4th Class Major Joe Phillips |
He was a member of the Occupation Force in Japan and next
served in Korea becoming the longest serving member of his battalion. Chaplain 4th
Class, ‘Father Joe’ was attached to the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian
Regiment (RAR) during the Korean War (his final posting) and wore army boots
without socks; summer or winter, swelter or snow. He was a ‘Discalced’
Carmelite Priest…’discalced’ means barefoot and members of the order usually
wear sandals. He was a tall, pale, slim man, quiet and aesthetic.
He would conduct mass wherever convenient, in a deserted
building perhaps, but more often in a paddy field. He would hear confession and
grant absolution wherever convenient too. Some of the officers were intrigued
by the number Diggers including those who were not Catholics who would go to
Father Joe's mass on Sundays. Then somebody worked it out. At the end of the service
he would announce sporting results from Australia for the previous day. He
prepared Japanese war brides and their soldier husbands for marriage and kept
up contact with them for years afterwards.
Fig.2 Korea 1952, Father Joe Phillips on the right outside of his tent church. |
On the eve of Anzac Day, 1951, his battalion – along with a
Canadian battalion and a company of American tanks – faced a division of
Chinese troops at the Battle of Kapyong, blunting an assault on Seoul. It was a
desperate affair, leaving 32 Australians dead, 59 wounded and three captured.
The Chinese dead were estimated to be at least 1000. By most measures it was a
bigger battle than Long Tan, lasted longer, involved more troops and cost more
blood. And it was a battle of human-wave assaults, encirclement and absolute
confusion.
Colonel Donald Beard 3RAR Medical Officer in Korea stated that
Father Joe often worked as a tireless stretcher bearer when casualties were
high. A former digger Jim McEune can remember vividly the pain in the chaplains’
face as he knelt before them. 3RAR received the United States Presidential
Distinguished Unit Citation.
On the 25th November 1952 Chaplain 4th Class Elzear Basil PhillipsService Numbers VX700033, SX8944, was also awarded a citation in Korea
- Member of the Order of the British Empire.
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