Studio portrait of Phillip Henry Priestley. An accountant from The Grange, SA prior to ...

Studio portrait of Phillip Henry Priestley. An accountant from The Grange, SA prior to enlistment, Priestley had extensive prior military service having served as a Lieutenant in the 5th (Imperial) Contingent during the Boer War followed by service as Acting Provost Marshal of 4MD as well as with the South Australian Mounted Rifles, the 16th & 17th Light Horse Brigades and 17 years as Camp Commandant TI Camp. He embarked with the rank of Captain with A Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment from Adelaide on HMAT Port Lincoln on 22 October 1914. Following his promotion to Major, he was wounded at Gallipoli and was later deemed to be unfit for active service and returned to Australia. He later re-enlisted for overseas service and embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Commonwealth on 2 November 1917 with the 8th Light Horse Regiment. On 3 May 1918, aged 46, he was killed in action at El Salt Palestine. He was initially buried near to where he fell, but his remains were later exhumed and re-interred in the Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, Syria.