From Australia’s Jewish Past
Philip Masel OBE – businessman, writer, army officer
Philip Masel
Philip was born on 25 May 1908 in Perth. He was the fourth child of Russian-born parents Esor Masel, a merchant, and his first wife Leah who unfortunately passed away when Philip was a young boy.
In 1887, Philip’s father emigrated to South Australia and hawked shoelaces before moving to Western Australia. In 1925 the family established Worth’s store, a menswear business in Perth. His father was a devoted Communal worker and an office bearer of the Perth Hebrew Congregation. Philip was educated in Perth at Highgate State School and Christian Brothers’ College and, always thought he would become a professional writer but decided to join the menswear business as its advertising manager. Although he wanted to become a professional writer, he joined Worth’s as its advertising manager adopting the motto that marketing was ‘not a life-and-death battle, but an honest expression of the desire to gain the purchaser’s goodwill and permanent patronage—even at the cost of losing an occasional sale’.
Philip was active in the Jewish community and from 1929 co-edited the Westralian Judean, a monthly newspaper covering community events and attracting articles and short stories from around Australia, many of these articles were contributed by him. He also contributed to the Bulletin and Smith’s Weekly. Philip enjoyed debating and served as an adjudicator for the Debating League of Western Australia and co-authored and published a book in Melbourne in 1934 on the Art of Debating. The following year he published again in Melbourne a handbook titled, Improve Your Salesmanship. He was a keen actor in local Jewish theatre and wrote an unpublished play titled Cloth Model.
Philip had married a young Perth concert singer, Marian Mendelsohn and they travelled to London in 1937 on a working holiday. Marian studied singing under Mark Raphael quite an accomplished singer and teacher. Philip wrote articles and scripts for the British Broadcasting Corporation plus a novel titled, In A Glass Prison, which was published and he also became a drama critic for the National Theatre News.
In 1938 Philip joined the Citizen Military Forces and was commissioned in the Australian Imperial Force on 20 July 1940. He was posted to the 2nd/28th Battalion, mentioned in dispatches for his work at Tobruk, Libya in 1941, and commended for gallantry in action around El Alamein, Egypt, in 1942. He was then promoted to a temporary major in 1943 while serving as an instructor at the Land Headquarters Tactical School, in Beenleigh, Queensland. In May 1945 he rejoined his old unit and participated in operations in British North Borneo. Under the name of ‘Peter Mike’, he was the war correspondent for the West Australian. Philip continued to serve with the C.M.F., commanding the 11th-44th Battalion in 1951-54 and the 13th Brigade (Royal West Australian Regiment) in 1959-61. He wrote the history of his battalion, The Second 28th in 1961, and in 1963 was transferred to the Retired List with the rank of brigadier.
Philip next published The Story of the Perth Hebrew Congregation in 1946 and contributed regularly to the anti-Zionist journal, Australian Jewish Outlook. With Harold Boas and others, he helped establish in 1952 the Liberal Jewish Group in Perth and the Temple David Congregation. He recorded its progress in two pamphlets, The First Decade in 1962 and The Second Decade in 1972. In 1951 he took on the presidency of Legacy, a trustee from 1956 for ten years of the Western Australian branch of the Boy Scouts Association, was chairman of the ceremonial committee for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and a member from 1962 to 1967 of the Western Australian division of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. In addition, he served from 1962 for five years on the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s talks advisory committee for Western Australia and, was a long-time member of the Australian Jewish Historical Society. He was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1953.
When his elder brother Samuel died in 1966, Philip became general manager of Worth’s Stores. He was appointed a commissioner of the ABC in 1967 and a member of the Western Australian Arts Advisory Board in 1970.
Correct in his appearance, bearing, and address, Philip had a highly developed sense of duty and responsibility. Loyalty and public service were the hallmarks of his life. Returning from a holiday in England by ship in early 1972, he suffered a coronary thrombosis and died and was buried at sea. He was survived by his wife and daughter. The library at Temple David is named in his honour.
Australian Dictionary of Biography – David Mossenson; AJHS Journal 7, 3 1972; Australian War Memorial
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