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Phillip Davey (1327)

(Ryan, 2014)

Phillip Davey was born on the 10th of October 1896 at Unley, Adelaide. He grew up with his parents William George Davey, a carpenter and Elizabeth O’Neill. Phillip had two brothers, Richard Davey born on the 19th of March 1894, and Claud Davey born on the 28th of August 1895. Phillip use to be a horse driver before he enlisted. (Francis, 2015).

 

In December 1914 Phillip Davey enlisted in the 10th Battalion. In 1915 on the 2nd of February Phillip Davey embarked from Melbourne with the 10th Battalion and travelled to Egypt to undergo training and meet with other battalions and troops. (Francis, 2015) This is where the Australian Imperial Force joined forces with the New Zealand equivalent and formed the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). The first mission that was assigned to the ANZAC’s was the Gallipoli Campaign. The plan was that the first wave of troops had to secure the beach and grab the high ground. This was vital for success. (Ryan, 2014) After the troops would push their way towards forts of Dardanelles. The plan was proven to be a lot harder then expected The men waited on ships in the pitch black, they had no idea of the challenges that they were about to face. The Turks opened fire on the ANZACs as soon as the boat grounded 30 meters from shore. Phillip Davey returned to Australia in January 1916 to recover from the wounds that he got during the battle. On the 27th June of the same year, Davey re-embarked with the 10th battalion’s 18th reinforcement. (Ben Francis 2015) He proceeded to England and joined the rest of his battalion in France in September. On 3rd of January 1918 in Warneton, Belgium, Davey crawled into the no-mans land under heavy fire, he did this to rescue a badly wounded friend. Davey was awarded the Military Medal, an award given to those for bravery in on-land battles. Phillip Davey was promoted to Corporal On the 24th April 1918. (AWM, 2017)

(Ryan, 2014)

On the 28th of June 1918, Davey's platoon came under heavy fire and the commander was killed. Survivors sheltered in a trench almost under the fire from a German machine-gun. Davey captured an enemy’s gun and used it to prevent a counter attack. He the stopped and returned to the trench in need for more grenades. Davey was then seriously wounded. (Francis, 2015) Afterwards he was then awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military award eligible to any rank in naval, military, air forces of UK and Commonwealth countries for his noticeable bravery. (AWM, 2017) Davey's wounds were so severe that he was sent to Britain. During the following month Turkey and Austria signed a settlement, therefore ended the war. Davey was discharged from the Australia Imperial Force in February 1919. (Ryan, 2014)

 

William and Elizabeth Davey were extremely happy with the return of their son, Phillip, but the Davey family were heartbroken at the loss of his two brothers, Claude and Richard. Both of them had enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force when the war began. They were both awarded the Military Medal for their bravery but were both killed in action on the Western Front. Many families, like the Davey’s, had to overcome these great losses. (AWM 2017) On the 25th August 1928 Phillip Davey married Eugene Agnes Tomlinson. They didn’t have any children. Davey continued to show the Anzac spirit by contributing to his community as much as possible. Davey worked as a labourer and a linesman with South Australian Railways for many years. Phillip Davey suffered bronchitis and emphysema. He also suffered a heart attack and passed away at the Repatriation General Hospital in Daw Park on the 21st December 1953, at the young age of 57 years old. (Francis, 2015)

(Ryan, 2014)

Reference List

(Julianne Ryan) 2014, The Returned & Services Leagues of Australia, RSL Virtual war memorial https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/116325

>Accessed 25th August 2017

 

(Ben Francis) 2015, Phillip Davey Australians at war

http://anzaccentenary.sa.gov.au/story/phillip-davey/

>Accessed 28th August 2017

 

(Australian War Memorial) 2017, Corporal Phillip Davey

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10676279

>Accessed 1st September 2017

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