Phillips, Wilfred James
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Wilfred James |
Surname | Phillips |
Gender | M |
Age | 27 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 21-02-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of Edgar James Phillips and Elizabeth Phillips (née Keegan), of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Husband of Vera Jean Phillips (née Hutchinson), whom he married at Hamilton on 4 October 1940. Father of Carole Mary Phillips, born 11 March 1944. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | NR121 |
Markings | MP-E |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Rheinberg War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 19. B. 18-22. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 226 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/93349 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 76 |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Behind old Main Guardroom, former Holme On Spalding Moor Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Pillar with inscribed Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | In Remembrance of the aircrew members from the UK,Australia,New Zealand,Canada and Norway,who gave their lives in the cause of freedom in operational sorties against the enemy from 76 Sqn 1941-1945 and to the ground personal who lost their lives by enemy |
Location | All Saints Church, Holme On Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window and Roll of Honour within Wooden Box with inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | S G Window In memory of 76 Sqn R.A.F / Roll of honour In memory of those members of 76 Sqn R.A.F who were killed on active service 1939-1954 |
Miscellaneous Information
Wilfred was born at Hamilton, Ontario on 6 September 1917. His father, a carpenter, was born in Wales and his mother in Edinburgh, Scotland. He had a brother, Thomas. He went to Bartonville Public school 1925-1932 and Delta Collegiate at Hamilton 1933-1938 (Jnr.Matric). He also went to Hamilton Tech.1932-1933, for an Industrial course. For sport Wilfred enjoyed the track and field events and his hobby was guns and hunting. He worked as a Receiving Clerk at Walmer Transport in Hamilton 1938-1939 and was a Truck driver for Turnbull Transport 1939-1940. This was followed by working as a soap maker 1940-1942 for Proctor and Gamble also in Hamilton, until he enlisted on 29 August 1942. |
After training he was posted to the U.K. and embarked from Halifax on 24 November 1943. He arrived at 3PRC on 2 December 1943, 2 (0) AFU 29 February 1944, 19 OTU on 18 April 1944, 41 Base 21 July 1944 and 76 Squadron on 7 November 1944. Wilfred sadly lost his life the following year on 21 February 1945. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/653/10 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/653/9 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 21-02-1945 |
End Date | 22-02-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Holme-on-Spalding-Moor |
Day/Night Raid | Night (77% moon) |
Operation | Worms. 349 aircraft, 11 losses. The only large raid on this town of the war. 1116 tons of high explosives were dropped and the town was said to be 39% destroyed. 64% of the buildings were destroyed including the cathedral and many municipal and cultural buildings. 239 people were killed and 35000 bombed out (from a population of just 58000) |
Reason for Loss | Crashed at Hohen-Sülzen, WSW of Worms. |