207490 Sgt. Philip Henry Ward MM, DCM.Australian Imperial Force 3rd Battalion from:Ipswich, England. Philip Ward enlisted in Sydney, New South Wales, where he was working as a labourer. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal:
'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on 9th August, 1915, at Lone Pine (Dardanelles). During a strong counter attack by the enemy, he, with the greatest coolness and bravery, mounted the parapet under a heavy and continuous fire in order to bring more effective fire on the enemy. His gallant conduct set a fine example and materially contributed to encourage the men of his section in repelling the attack.'
He received his medals from George V on Salisbury Plain and was supposed to have received the Freedom of Ipswich, Suffolk England but with family and dignitaries waiting at Ipswich Station, he never arrived and returned home with his Anzac mates instead. (He is listed as departing for Australia on 20th December 1918) This story was from my mother his sister but I cannot find any confirmation of this.
Philip was born in Ipswich in 1895. He was 21 when he embarked from Australia, he was 5' 5.5" and his weight was 126 lbs. He listed his
Next of kin as his Mother, Mrs Annie Naylor, 19 Pottery Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, England, when he enlisted on the 29th of January 1915.
His unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A9 Shropshire on 17 March 1915
He was awarded the Military Medal, listed in the 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 174, on 11th of October 1917
He was taken on strength, with the 3rd Bn, at Gallipoli, 31 May 1915.
Disembarked Alexandria, 29 December 1915 in the general Gallipoli evacuation and embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, on 22 March 1916, arriving at Marseilles, France, on 28th of March 1916. Philip was wounded in action, 26 July 1916 (gun shot wound, chest: severe) and admitted to 9th General Hospital, Rouen then transferred to England, 26 July 1916, and admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, 28 July 1916. He was discharged to No 1 Command Depot, Perham Downs on the 28th of September 1916; granted furlough, 30 September 1916; marched in to No 1 Command Depot, from furlough, 20 October 1916. He was
found guilty, on the 20th of October 1916, of being absent without leave from 3 pm, 16 October, till 4 pm, 19 October 1916: admonished, and forfeited 4 days' pay. He was found guilty, on 10th of January 1917, of being absent without leave from midnight, 26 December 1916, to midnight, 4 January 1917 and given 9 days' detention, and forfeited 23 days' pay.
He proceeded overseas to France, 14th February 1917 and rejoined 3rd Bn, in the field, on 14th March 1917. He was promoted Corporal, on 20th of April 1917.
Philip was detached to 1st Australian Division School, on 12th of May 1917 and rejoined his Battalion on 14th June 1917. Appointed Lance Sergeant, 18 July 1917 and Detached to 1st Brigade Musketry Class on 23rd August 1917; rejoining his Bn on 4th September 1917.
He had leave to Paris, from the 16th to 22nd of September 1917 and was
promoted to Sergeant on the 27th.
On the 1st of October 1917 he was admitted to 17th Casualty Clearing Station and transferred to 39th General Hospital, Havre, on 3 October 1917 and discharged to duty, 27 October 1917; total period of treatment for venereal disease: 27 days; rejoined Bn, 20 November 1917. He was admitted to 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, on the 8th of December 1917 with scabies and transferred same day to 20th General Hospital, Camiers and rejoined his Battalion, in the field on the 26th of December 1917.
He was on leave to United Kingdom from the 19 January 1918 and detached for duty with 1st Training Bn, in England, on expiration of his leave on the 2nd of February 1918. He was admitted to the Isolation Hospital on the 20th February 1918 again suffering from scabies and marched in to 1st Training Bn from hospital on 5 March 1918.
He left England to return to Australia on board HT 'Orontes', 20 December 1918 and disembarked Sydney, 1 February 1919; He was discharged, in Sydney, 9 April 1919.
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