Phillip Selwyn Allen, Regimental Sergeant-Major, 5Th Western Australian Mounted Infantry.

Summary

P.S. Allen born 1872 enlisted in 1899 and served in the South African War (Boer War) with 1st West Australian Mounted Infantry as a trooper and later transferred to the 5th West Australian Mounted Infantry with the rank of Regimental Sergeant-Major. He received the Queen's South African Medal with clasps for Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittenburgen and Cape Colony and the King's South African Medal with 2 clasps SA 1901 and SA 1902 (which he is not wearing). He was selected with 4 other Western Australian troops to be part of the Australian contingent for the Coronation Procession at King Edward VII's coronation on 9 August 1902 for which he received the Coronation Medal 1902 which he is wearing in this photograph. He returned to Western Australia 24 September 1902 which is probably when this portrait was taken. Allen later enlisted for WWI on 15 July 1915 and served with the 10th Light Horse and he was discharged in 1918. He died 4 August 1940.