Korea and Chaplain 4th Class Elzear Basil (Father Joe) Phillips

Elzear Basil Phillips, (Joe) was born on the 21^st 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 26^th July 1940 from Adelaide South Australia and as a Chaplain sailed for the Middle East with the 2^nd 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 4^th 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 4^th 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.

Fig.3 Most Excellent Order Of The British Empire

Everywhere people came to know and love the cheerful, easy going priest with the thick black hair and Carmelite habit. He had a Diggers interest in a Saturday morning bet and he loved gardening and making marmalade. His easy going style, his deep faith, his positive attitude and his interest in people made a deep impression on everyone he met.

Father Joe Phillips died on the 28^th November 2002 in Port Pirie where he had been helping out in the diocese for the past 30 years. He was aged 99.

Sources:

Father Joe’s personal collection.

Herald Sun, Melbourne, Vic December 2002

Australian War Memorial

The Korean War by Cameron Forbes

HMAS Bataan in Korea

Able Seaman Gunner Mervin (Merv) Reginald Parker Service Number R/28017, of Duffy Lane Port Pirie, South Australia joined the Royal Australian Navy in October 1945 at 19 years of age; he had tried to join on two previous occasions, but was rejected by the manpower act. He was eventually to serve nearly 12 years.

He served on H.M.A.S. Bataan during her second tour of duty in the Korean War in a familiar pattern on the west coast of Korea; blockade enforcement, shore bombardment and escort duty.

Fig.1 Able Seaman Gunner Merv Parker

 Bataan’s patrols during her 1952 tour lasted from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 21 days, with an average duration of 13 days. For her to remain on station off the coast over this period, multiple refueling's were necessary—on average once every three days as fast steaming consumed vast quantities of fuel oil. Refueling and replenishment often took place on a downwind course because of the icy winds. For other replenishment and leave, Bataan used either the American fleet base in Sasebo, Japan or the Commonwealth logistics base at Kure, also in Japan.

Winters in Korean waters brought the chill and biting Siberian winds, heavy seas, snow showers and sub-zero temperatures. Spray breaking over the forecastle turned to snowflakes in mid-air and wherever spray touched the ship it immediately froze. The ships super structure was frozen beneath tons of ice locking the gun mounts and freezing depth charges in their racks. Cordex placed along the main armament gun barrels and detonated from firing circuits, was used to remove ice from the barrels and on some occasions naval guns were operated every ten minutes to ensure they did not freeze up. Many other frozen moving parts on gun mountings had to be chipped off by hand. The inside doors of the upper deck would also ice over in winter.

Fig.2 Battans frozen forward gun mount.

The thin steel hull in direct contact with freezing sea water combined with the lack of insulation and minimal heating meant that crews had to endure freezing conditions below as well as on deck. Conditions were particularly severe for those in exposed positions, such as open bridges and gun positions. The weather was bleak and squally with temperatures down to -11 degrees Celsius. Snow and ice covered the ships' decks, and sailors lived in cramped and often freezing conditions as their quarters were below the waterline.

In order to maintain what heat could be generated, ships were closed up which meant that the air below decks became stale. Further, the presence of relatively large numbers of crew (The ships compliment was 12 officers and 247 sailors) confined within a small, poorly ventilated space presented a significant risk of the spread of diseases spread by contact or aerosols. This danger was exacerbated by another method; in an attempt to maintain a habitable temperature steam was vented directly into the ship from its boilers. This method provided only short-term relief and temperatures fell rapidly. The resultant high humidity and moisture in crew accommodation areas would have provided an environment very suitable for moulds and other potential disease sources.

There was difficulty in maintaining water and galley fuel to different parts of the ship, owing to the fact that the liquid froze in the pipes. Water pipes to bathrooms, fuel pipes to galleys and the Heads drainage pipes were all affected, even some lagged pipes were frozen.

Fig.3  H.M.A.S. Battan D191 Tribal Class Destroyer

When Bataan returned to Australia, Able Seaman Merv Parker met his 10 month old daughter for the first time. He discharged from the R.A.N. in April 1957. H.M.A.S. Bataan served longer in Korean waters than any other United Nations naval vessel.