Flying Officer George Alexander Phillips DFM.
Known as Alex.
He was born in India
22nd August 1913, and died 14th July 2004.
He was educated at The Hulme Grammar School, Oldham ( source is letter from Headmaster, dated 16/6/1943, on award of his DFM).
Pre war he worked for the Prudential Assurance Co, and returned to them after the war.
He worked for them until he retired, rising to District Manager.He volunteered on the outbreak of war for the RAF.
As a youngster he tinkered about with motor cycles.........that is how he became an aircraft engine fitter.
His RAF service number was 1012846. The Certificates of Qualification has one entry:"Sgt G.A. Phillips has qualified as Flight Engineer with effect from 28th June 1942, Unit St Athans".Posted to 14 OTU.
50 Squadron Service
From 6th July 1942 until 3rd November 1942The first flight entry is dated 8th July 1942, 50 Squadron, Manchester L7468, pilot a Sgt Heinrith (think that the correct spelling). His first flight with P/O Cole was in Lancaster K5691 on 13th July 1942..
His crew being:
F/O T.B. Cole. P/O P.W. Rowling. Sgt B.T. Murtough. Sgt G.A. Phillips. Sgt L. Sheil.
Sgt S.A. Gawler. P/O K. Hoad.
Phillips completed 25 operational trips whilst on 50.
24 with P/O Cole and one with Flt/S Weber
Ops.....
July 42.....23rd, Gardening. 25th, Duisburg. 26th, Hamburg. 29th, Saarbrucken.
August 42....
1st, Dusseldorf. 10th, Gardening. 12th, Mainz. 13th, Gardening. 17th, Osnabruck.
20th, Shipping Strike. 24th, Frankfurt. 27th, Kassel.
September 42....
1st, Saarbrucken. 4th, Bremen. 8th, Frankfurt. 10th, Dusseldorf. 23rd, Wismar.
October 42....1st, Wismar. 5th, Aachen. 12th, Wismar. 13th, Kiel. 17th, Le Creuseot. 22nd, Genoa.
Posted to Syerston, 4th November 42..................................................................................................................................He was awarded the DFM on 15th June 1943. London Gazette of that date. His own notebook refers to a delay in wearing the ribbon as his service number was wrongly quoted as 1012346.
Commissioned 5th September 1943. London Gazette 2nd November 1943---new RAF service number 158002.
..............................................................................................................................After 25 ops he was moved out of 50.
T.B.Cole invited him to join his crew for a 2nd tour. Phillips declined. Very astute of him as Cole's aircraft, VN-M was shot down during his lst op.
Report below:
On the night of June 21/22nd, 1944,
Sqd/Ldr T.B. Cole and his crew were shot down by a nightfighter, on
ops to Scholven-Buer, in Lancaster LL840, VN-M.
Sqd/Ldr T.B. Cole, pow.
F/Sgt K.H.C. Ingram, evd. Captured by Gestapo, and murdered.
F/O. J.Craven, evd.
F/Sgt A.G. Beresford, pow.
P/O E.J. Blakemore, evd.
W/O J.F. Lane, killed.
Sgt F.H. Shorter, killed.
Sgt P.F. Hayes, pow.
Many years later a Dutch farmer discovered a parachute and an RAF cap hidden under a bush.
The cap bore the name T. B. Cole. The cap had survived despite a fire at his farm some years before. The farmer decided he would like to contact any surviving family of Mr. Cole to return it to them. He did some some research and found that the aircraft was from 50 Squadron, RAF Skellingthorpe, target was Gelsenkirchen and it was shot down on 22 June 1944 at 02.20. He also quoted the serial number LL 840.
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23 ops for him altogether, with 617sqdn...........
F/L D.J.B Wilson
P/O G..A..Phillips.
AUS. F/O J.K.Stott.
CAN. F/O E.W. Finlay.
F/O/ R.J. Allen
Ops:
Operation- Lyons. 23rd, Lyons. 25th, Lyons. 29th, Lyons.
22.04.44
Three aircraft with crews (F/L Wilson
F/L. Pryor and Lt Knilans) crew) with skeleton servicing crew, proceded on special detachment to Boscombe Down.
"HLB 18,000ft". Aviation Elite Units----617 Squadron, this was trials with the Tallboy which 617 used for the first time on the Samur tunnel on 8th June 1944.
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05.06. 44. Special operation, No details revealed.
F/L D.J.B. Wilson. And crew.
08.06.44. Bombing Railway Tunnel, Saumar. 1X 14,000 (Tallboy) 10,500ft. 0217 hrs
Many bombs bursts, well concentrated around the spotfire. All bombs seen to fall in a 50yards radius. 1 direct hit on the marker itself.
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He once upset Leonard Cheshire when they were sitting in the Officers Mess by switching off the radio which was playing “American Music”, “PHILLIPS, PUT IT BACK ON I WAS LISTENING TO THAT” came the sharpe reprimand. 'CHOP, CHOP, CHOP, CHOP!!!!'
At the end of his 2nd tour with 617 sqdn. Wg Cdr Leonard Cheshire VC signed and wrote in his logbook:
“F/O Phillips has completed a distinquished 2nd operational tour”
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