PHELPS Harry

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral under Welland casualties.

Harry Phelps was born in Upton on Severn, Worcestershire in 1891. He sailed from London to Melbourne, Australia on 24th October 1911 on the P & O ship Wakool. Harry enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Collingwood, Victoria on 18th August 1914 when he gave his age as 22 years 10 months, his occupation as a farmer and his next of kin as his father, W.J. Phelps, Upton on Severn, Worcestershire, England. Harry was 5 feet 9¾ inches tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair.

On 19th October 1914, Harry sailed from Melbourne, Australia on the “Hororata”, presumably destined for Alexandria as the next entry on the sheet records Harry embarking at Alexandria, Egypt on 5th April 1915 to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, where he joined his unit at Gallipoli on 18th May 1915. He was posted missing on 7th August 1915 and was certified killed in action on that date following an army Court of Inquiry held on 24th April 1916.

Australian Service Records accessed via:  https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/
Reference: Barcode 8015622 Series Accession No B2455 Location: Canberra

The following information was researched and transcribed by Mick Wilks:
The Upton on Severn News, 28th August 1915 reported Private Phelps’s death, who at the time was apparently foremost in the charge on Turkish trenches. He had been well known in Upton prior to going to Australia four years before. He had been educated at Hanley Castle Grammar School and had been for some years a member of the Upton Football Club. He had joined the 1st Australian Division before going to Egypt with the first contingent. The sad news had been communicated to the Upton news by Lance Corporal R S Dutton, €œa chum of a brave fellow.€

Harry Phelps has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on Lone Pine Memorial.