Number 3894

Battalion 59th Battalion

Place of Birth Leongatha or Mt Eccles

Next of Kin His father, John Francis Phelan
of Kardella Road Korumburra

Date and place of enlistment Leongatha 9/7/1915

Physical details on enlistment Age 18 years 2 months,
5'4", 9 stone, blue eyes and dark brown hair

Religion Roman Catholic

Occupation Farmer

Date and place of death

He was missing in action after the battle of Fleubaix or Fromelles on 19/7/1916. It was considered that he had been killed in action by a Court of Enquiry held on 17/9/1916.

Location of grave or memorial

He has no known grave and is remembered on the Memorial at V C Corner Fromelles.

Relationship to Woorayl Shire He had connection to the Mt Eccles area

Military History

He attended Mt Eccles and Korumburra State School
9/7/15 He enlisted Leongatha
His father and mother gave permission for him to enlist (see page 6 of his file)
He had been a junior and senior cadet
He was originally in the 12th reinforcement 8th Battalion
3/4/16 He was taken on strength to the 59th from the 2nd training battalion at Ferry Post
9/4/16 He was sick with influenza
9/4/16 He was ill and transferred to The 2nd Casualty Clearing Station 15th Field Ambulance at staging camp
13/4/16 He was discharged to duty and taken on strength from hospital at Ferry Post
10/5/16 He was reported AWL 0800 to 0915 on 7/5/16 at Duntoon Plateau and received one weeks fatigue duty.
26/5/16 He was ill with parotitis
29/5/16 He returned to his unit at Monscar
All above in Egypt
18/6/16 He embarked Alexandria on the Kinfauns Castle
29/6/16 He disembarked at Marseilles
19/7/16 He was missing in action at Fromelles
29/8/17 A Court of Enquiry declared he was killed in action on 19/7/16
He was presumed to be buried in a mass grave
On page 13 of his file is a training certificate from the cadets
On page 22 of his file there is a letter from Mrs. Phelan written on October 20th 1916. She stated that she received information from a soldier from Korumburra saying jack Phelan was slightly wounded and was in a hospital somewhere.
His mother is in Korumburra and his father in Eaglehawk
The YMCA look into his case
2/10/17 Mr. Lloyd of YMCA committee Korumburra sent a letter which is on page 34 of the file.
A private Wilkinson said that Jack Phelan was suffering shell shock having been wounded in the arm and was in a hospital No 17 Hut Weymouth Hospital West Ham England. Mrs. Phelan sent a photo to Pt. Wilkinson and he recognized it as the former mate he had seen in Weymouth.
All this has made Mrs. Phelan very nervous and upset
27/6/17 Mrs. Phelan received a letter stating that No 3894 Private Phelan is alive and well and serving in France
17/9/17A Letter was received by his family stating that J Phelan was found to have been killed in action on 19/7/16.