Elias was born on 2 February 1910 in East Ham, Essex to Sydney and Bessie née Marks and had an older sister Theresa.

Elias married Laura Liddle in 1937 in Hendon, and in 1939 they were living at 55 Sunnyfield, Hendon where Elias worked as a leather goods manufacturer with his father and Laura was a shorthand typist.

Elias was the observer on Stirling N6084 which departed RAF Lakenheath on the night of 8/9th June 1942, detailed to bomb Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Hessel, 7 kms south east of Dorsten and all the crew members were killed.

A/G, Eric Foster William Booth, 636621.
Pilot, Howard Leslie Davis, 1254786.
Flying Officer Vincent William James Mansell, RAAF, 407719
F/E, Norman Peake, 617057.
Obs, Elias Alexander Phillips
A/G, Eric Ward, 1261399.
W/Op, Tom Whittle, 1310638.