2690 Private Phillip Henry Hammer - 48th Battalion AIF
Phillip Henry Hammer was born in Stawell Victoria in 1876 to Phillip and Elizabeth Hammer and was one of ten siblings born into the family. He was educated in Stawell and had his early years there and Ballarat.
In he married Martha Jane Adelaide McFadden on the 5th November 1898 in Ballarat and they had the following children, Roy 1898, Albert 1900, Leslie 1902, Harry 1904 and Arthur 1913.
The family had moved to WA in 1901 and sadly Albert died just 1 year of age when they reached the Goldfields. The Hammer's set up residence in Boulder. In 1916 they were living at Fimiston and Phillip was working as a miner.
They then moved to Fremantle and set up residence in 14 Hulbert Street South Fremantle. (later renumbered to 4 Hulbert) Phillip was working locally as a labourer.
On the 17th May 1916 in Fremantle Phillip enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. His son Roy had enlisted two days earlier.
Phil was passed as fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 165lbs;
Chest Measurement - 35-38 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Grey;
Hair - Grey;
Distinctive Marks - Tattoo on right arm
Upon his successful enlistment Phil was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to No.69 Training Depot. After a month Phil was assigned to the 22nd Reinforcements to the 16th Battalion AIF. He trained with them till the 5th September 1916 and was then transferred to the 6th Reinforcements to the 48th Battalion AIF. He was given the regimental number 2690 and his son Roy had the number 2675.
Father and son trained with this group in WA for the next seven weeks. On the 30th October 1916 Phil and his group were entrained to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship Port Melbourne. The ship then took them to England, arriving there at Devonport on the 28th December 1916. After being disembarked Phillip and his group were sent to the 12th Training Battalion at Codford Camp.
Philip remained at Codford Camp through the first six months of 1917. He the fell ill and was sent to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He was between Bulford hospital and Codford Camp for the remainder of 1917. It appears Phillip was medically downgraded as he spent 1918 in England and was attached to the various AIF depot camps.
On the 7th February 1919 Phillip left England aboard the transport ship Lancashire and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 21st March 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on the 29th April 1919.
Afer the Great War the Hammer's moved from Hulbert Street to 287 Hampton Road South Fremantle (later renumbered to 159 Hampton) and he was working locally as a labourer.
The Hammers lived here till the late 1920's then Phillip took up employment as a Contractor at Irwin. Irwin is located approx. 50 km south of Geraldton. They then moved to Coolgardie in the 1930's.
Sadly their son Leslie died suddenly in Fremantle in 1932. He had been working as a Lumper on Fremantle wharf. At this time Phillip was working as a contractor near Coolgardie on the Goldfields.
The family then moved to Albany in the 1940's. Phillip Hammer died in Albany on the 7th October 1947. He was buried in Albany
