Laurie (Laurence Henry) Phillips
FatherLaurence Lee Phillips b. 17 Jan 1892, d. 6 Jan 1970
MotherRuby Barnes b. 1894, d. 1965
Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Laurence Henry Phillips was born on 22 December 1915 in Swan Hill, Victoria.1,2 
He married Eugenie Estelle Nolan on 14 March 1944 in Melbourne, Victoria.3 
He died on 21 January 2007 in Warrnambool, Victoria, at age 91.4,5 

Family

Eugenie Estelle Nolan b. 1919
Children
ChartsO'Loughlin, Michael, descendant chart
Phillips, James, descendant chart

Story

Laurence Henry Phillips was born in Swan Hill on 22 December 1915. He was the eldest child of Ruby and Larry. He was known as Laurie.1,2
 
Dry Cleaner
Apart from his five years of military service, Laurie was a dry cleaner all his working life.

He began as a dry cleaner in Swan Hill, and continued there for several years after the war. In the early 1950s, he was manager of Gouge Dry Cleaning in Shepparton, before continuing later in the decade in Warrnambool.

While in Shepparton, Laurie and Gene drank at the Hotel Australia run by his Uncle Tom and cousins.1,2,6,7,8
 
Military Service
Laurence Henry Phillips enlisted in the Australian Military Forces in Caulfield on 28 June 1940, aged 23. His Army number was VX41253. He lived in Swan Hill at the time. When Laurie signed up, he was 24 years old, and to make sure he wasn't considered too old for service, he stated he was a year younger. This decision had repercussions years later when it delayed his aged pension for a year.

Following enlistment, he trained in Bendigo where he spent about five months. Training was next at Echuca for about three months, then Darley training camp just north of Bacchus Marsh for about six weeks. In late February 1941 he was absent without leave (AWL) for a few days; perhaps he was visiting family in Bacchus Marsh.

Laurie served in the Middle East from April 1941 to February 1943 where he was a 'Rat of Tobruk'. He served in New Guinea, including on the Kokoda Track, from August 1943 to March 1944. He served in Queensland for most of the next 12 months. And he served in the southwest Pacific area, including the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and Borneo, from April to October 1945.

When Laurie was discharged on 24 October 1945, he was a Lance Corporal.2,9,10
Laurence Henry Phillips, Australian Army, service no. VX41253, 1940
Laurence Henry Phillips, Australian Army, service no. VX41253, 1940
Larry and Ruby's two sons, Laurie and Allan, both served in the Second World War.
Larry (Laurence Lee), Allan, Laurie (Laurence Henry) & Ruby Phillips (Barnes)
Marriage and Family
Eugenie Estelle Nolan and Laurence Henry Phillips were married at 111 Collins St in Melbourne on 14 March 1944. They had two children.

Laurie and Gene (Eugenie) were married at a Regimental Aid post. When Laurie had the first of several bouts of malaria while serving in the tropics, he was evacuated to the Australian General Hospital in Heidelberg. While he was in Melbourne, he and Gene decided it would be a good time for them to get married. They hastily organised a church and hired a wedding dress and flowers. Gene travelled down by train from Swan Hill with her mother and sister, and Laurie's brother Allan. But it didn't go according to plan.11,3,12,13
 
Love Did Find a Way
Pte AL [sic: LH] Phillips and Mrs Phillips photographed at Heidelberg Hospital after their marriage at a Regimental Aid Post on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning Pte Phillips, on leave from New guinea, collapsed in the city with a sudden attack of malaria. He reached a Regimental Aid Post with a temperature of 104. Told he must go to the hospital, Pte Phillips protested that he was getting married that afternoon - and then things started to happen. The bride, Miss Eugeanie Estelle Nolan, of Swan Hill, informed the officiating minister (the Rev W Ramshaw) of the sudden development. Collecting the best man and relatives who had begun to arrive at Christ Church, Hawthorn, Mr Ramshaw rushed them by taxi to the city but could not find the Regimental Aid Post. It was not until 7 pm that the tangle was sorted out and the ceremony performed. Then the bridegroom was whisked to hospital.12
Pte Laurence Henry Phillips and Mrs Eugenie Estelle Phillips, Heidelberg Hospital, Mar 1944
Image: Herald
There Was He, Waiting At The R.A.P.
Pte, LH Phillips - on leave from New Guinea - collapsed with a sudden attack of malaria in the City yesterday morning, and staggered to an Army Regimental Aid post with a temperature of 104.

"It's hospital for you, my lad," said the sister-in-charge.

"Oh, no, you can't do that," Pte Phillips protested, "I'm getting married this afternoon."

And then things started to move!

The bride, Miss Eugeanl [sic] Estelle Nolan, of Swan Hill, informed the officiating minister (the Rev WE Ramshaw) of the change of plans. He collected the best man, also a soldier, relatives and friends who had begun to arrive at Christ Church, Hawthorn, and bundled them into a taxi.

But then fate took a hand. Somehow the address of the Regimental Aid post was confused and instead of going to the Union Bank Building at the top end of Collins Street the party went to the National Bank Building.

And there it remained for two hours. Scouting parties were sent out and innumerable inquiries made, but the Regimental Aid post could not be located. Neither could the bride and groom.

Reluctantly Mr Ramshaw gave up and returned to his Hawthorn vicarage to find that a certain Regimental Aid post had been ringing frantically. He called back, a car was rushed out, and at 7 pm he found the bride and groom waiting anxiously.

There was no time to round up Ihe best man and other members of the bridal party.

So, with the groom supported in bed by the sister-in-charge of the post, with tlie bride on the left at the head of the bed, and as congregation a few relatives who had been fortunate enough to find the right address, the ceremony was performed.

Immediately the marriage was over the bridegroom was carried from the room, placed in an ambulance and whisked off to Heidelberg Hospital.

When at last Mr Ramshaw got home for the second time the phone rang. It was the best man.

"Have you found them yet?" he asked.

"Found them," said Mr Ramshaw, "why, I've just married them!"13
 
In later years, when things weren't going his way, Laurie joked that he wasn't really married because he was delirious and didn't say 'I do' at the ceremony. [Kaye Hunter]11
 
A photo with Laurie Phillips holding John Redden was probably taken February or March 1941 when Laurie was stationed at the Darley Training Camp just north of Bacchus Marsh.2
Laurie (Laurence Henry) Phillips & John Redden c. 1941
Image: Roylyn Phillips
Laurence Henry Phillips died in Warrnambool on 21 January 2007, aged 91. He was buried at Warrnambool cemetery with his brother Allan.14
Headstone of Allan George Phillips & Laurence Henry Phillips, Warrnambool cemetery
Image: Gabrielle Witherspoon
PHILLIPS. - Laurence Henry. (Laurie) Passed away peacefully on Jan 21, 2007 at Warrnambool, aged 91 years. Loved husband of Jean (dec), Loving father of Julie (Kaye) and Trevor. Loved grandfather of Gabriel, Toby, Angela and Linda. Great-grandfather of Caspar, Oscar and Vanalyn. VX 41253 RAT of TOBRUK.14
 

Citations

  1. [S193] Trevor L Phillips, personal communication, 24 September 2004.
  2. [S335] 'Phillips Laurence Henry', B883 Second Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers 1939-1947, control symbol VX41253, service record, 1940-1945.
  3. [S573] Laurence Henry Phillips and Eugeanie Estelle Nolan, marriage registration no. 2539, 14 March 1944.
  4. [S271] 'Phillips, Laurence Henry', Herald Sun, 1990-, newspaper, online, tributes, Herald & Weekly Times, 22 January 2007.
  5. [S193] Trevor L Phillips, personal communication, 1 July 2008.
  6. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, 1954, division of Murray, subdivision of Shepparton.
  7. [S392] Australia, Electoral Rolls 1903-1980, online, 1963, division of Wannon, subdivision of Warrnambool.
  8. [S383] Kaye Hunter, personal communication, 15 June 2013.
  9. [S193] Trevor L Phillips, personal communication, 14 December 2012.
  10. [S500] 'Phillips, Laurence Henry', DVA's Nominal Rolls, service summary, World War Two, service no. VX41253, viewed 12 May 2020, https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran
  11. [S383] Kaye Hunter, personal communication, 18 December 2014.
  12. [S467] 'Love did find a way', Herald, 1855-1990, newspaper, FB Franklyn & Co, 16 March 1944, p. 3, viewed 2 May 2020, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/245326626
  13. [S467] 'There was he, waiting at the RAP', Herald, 1855-1990, newspaper, FB Franklyn & Co, 15 March 1944, p. 3, viewed 2 May 2020, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/245329952
  14. [S271] 'Phillips, Laurence Henry', Herald Sun, 1990-, newspaper, online, tributes, Herald & Weekly Times, 22 January 2007, viewed 27 September 2022, https://www.heraldsun.com.au/tributes/notice/death-notices/…