Albert Edward Phillips was born in Swindon in 1884 and served a five year boilermaking apprenticeship at the Swindon Railway Works. After arriving in Adelaide he found work at the Islington railway yards. He played for the South Adelaide soccer club in 1911 and 1912, and switched to the newly formed Locos club in 1913. Locos won the Second Division league in that year.
Enlisting in the AIF as early as August 24th 1914, Phillips landed with the 10th Battalion at Gallipoli on April 25th 1915 where he received a gunshot wound only a week later. He was evacuated to Mudros but in July returned to his unit. After bouts of illness it appeared that his wound had not healed properly and he was evacuated to England.
Albert Phillips died in Reading War Hospital in December 1915, not very far from his place of birth.