Date of birth:

October 25th, 1918 (St. Stephen/New Brunswick, Canada)

Date of death:

June 9th, 1940

Service number:

41738

Nationality:

Canadian (1931-present, Constitutional Monarchy)

Phillip Purdy took part in both Norwegian expeditions.
Purdy took part in the successful evacuation of fighters from Narvik on 8 June 1940 when he and nine other pilots from 263 Squadron landed their Gladiators aboard HMS Glorious. However this successful evacuation was to no avail when the carrier was sunk by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau later in the day with the loss of almost all aboard, Purdy being one of them.
Purdy is commemmorated on the Runnymede Memorial, panel 9.

Promotions:
March 4th, 1939: Acting Pilot Officer (probation)
Septermber 23th, 1939: Pilot Officer (Probation)
March 26th, 1940: Pilot Officer

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Pilot Officer

Unit:

No. 263 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

May 10th, 1940

Citation:
"This officer led a successful attack against enemy Heinkel III aircraft. He also showed bravery in remaining in his cockpit whilst subjected to a bombing attack by three enemy aircraft, and only abandoned his aircraft when it was set on fire by a bomb bursting nearby. He received serious burns but insisted on helping to start two other aircraft in the face of enemy machine gun fire."

• - The London Gazette Issue 34733 published on the 14 November 1939
  - The London Gazette Issue 34847 published on the 10 May 1940
  - The London Gazette Issue 34854 published on the 21 May 1940
  - Air Force Association of Canada
  - Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War