Date of birth:

1917 (Lyndhurst/Hampshire, Great Britain)

Date of death:

January 10th, 2012 (Tilney St. Lawrence/Norfolk, Great Britain)

Service number:

525355/52109

Nationality:

British

William Phillips left school at the age of 14 and worked as a gardener/chauffeur before enlisting in the RAF in 1935.
He joined 214 Squadron as an air gunner and eventually arrived in Norfolk on April 13 1937, at the newly-built RAF Feltwell. He was on leave in September 1939 when war was declared, but received a telegram instructing him to report to Feltwell immediately. On arrival, he was transferred to RAF Marham, which was then in the process of a major expansion into an important bomber base.
His missions included the notorious 1,000 bomber raids over Germany but also flew on the controversial raids on Dresden in February 1945.
By the end of the war, Phillips had been promoted to Flight Lieutenant and was training other air gunners. He served in India briefly after the war before leaving the RAF in 1947.
Phillips bought a smallholding in Tilney St Lawrence but sold the property and found a job at Cooper Roller Bearings at King�s Lynn, where he stayed until he retired, in 1981.

Promotions:
? Flight-Sergeant
March 10th, 1943: Pilot Officer (probation/war sub)
September 10th, 1943: Flying Officer (war sub)
March 10th, 1945: Flight Lieutenant

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Flight Sergeant

Unit:

No. 214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

December 29th, 1942

Citation:
"As an air gunner this airman has been engaged on operational flying since December 1939. In April 1940 his aircraft was one of a formation which was attacked over Stavanger by 40 enemy aircraft. In the ensuing engagement Flight-Sergeant Phillips acquitted himself with skill.
On another occasion, in June 1940, during a return flight from Western Germany, his aircraft was caught in a concentration of searchlights and subjected to heavy fire. Displaying great coolness and accuracy of fire, Sergeant Phillips succeeded in extinguishing many of the searchlights and greatly assisted his pilot in evading the defences. This airman has displayed a high degree of courage and fortitude.”

• Photo: Wisbech Standard 24
  
• - Second Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35837 published on the 25 December 1942
  - Wisbech Standard 24
  - No. 214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron Royal Air Force