Philbert John Charles Morel
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 10 Oct 1901 |
| Place of Birth | Armadale, Western Australia |
| Death | 14 Mar 1988, aged 86 |
| Place of Death | Mornington, Victoria |
| Age at Enlistment | 40 years, 3 months |
| Description | 6'2" tall ; ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; fair hair |
| Occupation | Boilermaker's Assistant |
| Address | 385 Main street, kangaroo Point, Queensland |
| Next of Kin | Sister , Ms Veronique Taylor |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | N464830 |
| Date of Enlistment | 17 Sep 1943 |
| Rank | Sapper |
| Unit/Formation | 2/1st Field Butchery Company |
| Post War Details | |
| Fate | Remained in Australia |
Pre War
On 2 Oct 1916 Philbert joined the Western Australian Government Railways and Tramways as a Junior Storeboy at Bunbury for 3/- (30 cents) per day. He was made a member of permanent staff on 2 Oct 1917, and on 5 Aug 1920 he was granted 6 months leave without pay, resigning on 25 Jan 1921.
Electoral Roll entries: 1925 Hines Hill WA, labourer; 1931 Tallawang road, Gulgong NSW, miner; 1943 'Lugano' Ivory street Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, boilermaker's assistant
War Service
Registered for Mobilization on 10 Apr 1942 and declared to be in a Reserved Occupation. However, he was called up 17 Sep 1943 for full time duty, and on 24 Sep 1943 entered the 1st Royal Australian Engineers Training Centre at Kapooka. Philbert was charged on 29 Feb 1944 with having used insubordinate language to a superior officer for which he was fined £1 and given 7 days Confined to Barracks. On 10 Mar 1944 he was transferred to the 5th AARD, but on 4 Apr 1944 the 114th Australian Convalescent Depot reclassified Philbert as Class B. On 14 Apr 1944 he marched out to the 13th Australian Personnel Staging Camp for evaluation, and from there transferred to the 2/1st Field Butchery Company Meat works referred to as the Cape River Meat Works at Pentland, Queensland approx. 140 kilometers south west of Charters Towers.
On 25 Jun 1944 he was evacuated to the 2/14th Australian General Hospital, and from there sent on to the 112th Australian General Hospital (Brisbane) who released him back to duty with the Meat Works on 5 Jul 1944. On 11 May 1945 he was admitted to the 2/14th Australian General Hospital with Dengue Fever. Released to his unit on 27 May 1945, but classified B2 for health reasons on 30 Jul 1945. On 2 Nov 1945 he was transferred to the 1st Maintenance Platoon, before moving again on 22 May 1946 to the 41st DCRE (Works), and finally to the NSW Line of Communication Discharge Depot for discharge on 6 Sep 1946. Discharged 18 Sep 1946.
Post War
Electoral Roll entries: 1949 Eastlake Hostel, |Canberra, builders labourer; 1958 at 210 Drummond street, South Carlton, labourer; 1977 at 488 Camberwell road, Camberwell, Vic, retired..
Notes