Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare M.M. group of seven awarded to Flight Lieutenant D. L. Phillips, No. 150 Squadron, Royal Air Force, believed to be the first such award for escaping from capture after being shot down
Military Medal, G.VI.R. (545177 Sgt., R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals; French Croix de Guerre 1939-1940, mounted as worn, good very fine and rare (7)

M.M. London Gazette 7 March 1941. The following details were extracted from official records and are based on Sergeant Phillips’ debriefing report: ‘Sergeant Phillips was the wireless operator of an aircraft which was shot down after bombing a German convoy near Vernon on 13th June 1940. He was captured by the enemy and taken to hospital and interrogated but refused to give information. After a stay of about 3 weeks he was transported to the prison camp at Doullens where he was compelled to perform heavy tasks. A month later Sergeant Phillips escaped with a soldier. This was accomplished with the aid of a rope, which they had collected in odd pieces and tied together to a tree, and by sliding down a 60 foot wall which was unguarded. Donning a civilian jacket which he had hidden under his tunic, Sergeant Phillips and his comrade, who was already in civilian clothes, walked past the prison while being watched by a German Guard through binoculars. They hid in a wood until it was dark, and then with the help of a non-luminous compass and a map of ‘present day’ France they decided to make for Spain and made their way across country avoiding all big towns. As the bridges across the Somme were well guarded Sergeant Phillips and his comrade swam the river: they subsequently crossed the Oise by ferry, assisted by a Frenchman: afterwards a German soldier rowed them across the Marne. After crossing the frontier among a herd of cows, they found the population of occupied France very helpful and willing to supply food. By lorry, Sergeant Phillips and his companion reached Sennecey where they obtained from the Military Bureau, railway tickets to Lyons. There they reported to the Military authorities and were put into prison. Changing prison camps twice, they eventually contacted a Frenchman who drove them, together with an Army officer, to Lyons. Here they proceeded by train to Perpignan and then walked across country. On reaching the frontier, about midnight, they were shot at and the army captain was last seen dashing into a vineyard when Sergeant Phillips and his soldier comrade made for some woods. They then made their way over the mountains where they wandered for 2 days eventually arriving at a Spanish farm. Here they were given food and shelter for the night. Soon after leaving the farm they were captured by the Spanish authorities and for about 2 months remained in different prisons eventually being released and reaching England via Gibraltar on the 4th December 1940.’

Donald Leslie Phillips joined the Royal Air Force in 1938 at the age of 18 and was with 150 Squadron at the outbreak of war. No. 150 Squadron formed part of the Advanced Air Strike Force based in France and flew Fairey Battles, notoriously under-powered and under-armed light bombers. In May 1940 it was one of the Battle squadrons which attacked the Meuse Bridges in an attempt to stem the German advance, losing all four of its bombers in a raid which cost the R.A.F. 40 out of the 71 bombers that took part.

The full story of Sergeant Phillips and his escape is told in ‘Free to Fight Again’ by A. W. Cooper, from which the following details are taken, describing the action in which he was shot down: “His squadron had been posted to France on 2 September 1939 as part of the Expeditionary Force, and prior to the operation in which he was shot down and evaded capture, his aircraft had been forced down twice on previous occasions. On 13 June 1940, while stationed at Haussay, having already been out on a night raid, they came back hoping to get some rest, but it was not to be, as they were again called out to bomb troop concentrations on the Seine.

He was flying as wireless operator in his usual aircraft, a Fairey Battle, the aircraft which, with the Bristol Blenheim, had been thrown into the attempt to halt the German advance across France since the outset of the Blitzkrieg on 10 May. The Fairey Battle was no match for the Messerschmitt Bfl09. On this night he was with his usual crew, Pilot Officer Gulley and Sergeant Berry. ‘After locating our target,’ he reported on his return, ‘we split up from the other two aircraft in the formation to bomb and after dive-bombing the troops, started on our way back to base. I saw about 30 aircraft circling near Vernon-sur-Seine, and drew the crew’s attention to them, but we thought they were probably Hurricanes.’

They soon found out their mistake- ‘About 30 seconds later five of them broke away and came after us, and we saw the crosses on them. [They were 109's.] They started diving on our tail in line astern attacks while I kept up a continuous fire with the rear gun while Sergeant Berry handed me full pans of ammunition ... One of the 109's came in to finish us off and fired at us with his cannon, and hit the main plane and blew away the camera hatch. He apparently thought we were out of action but came in to about 30 yards’ range and turned off. This gave me a point blank view of the 109’s belly and l gave it a long burst. The machine caught fire, turned over and dived into the ground. Meanwhile we were already on fire at the petrol tanks and were almost hitting the ground. [Pilot Officer Gulley] seemed to be trying to be levelling out, but couldn't and we crashed into a field and bounced into another one. [Sergeant Berry] and myself were temporarily unconscious, and when we came round the whole of the aircraft was on fire. We got out and tried to get to the pilot, but couldn’t as the aircraft was burning too much.”

Sergeant Phillips received his M.M. from the King, and his Croix de Guerre from the hands of General De Gaulle. After being debriefed on his return he gave a number of talks to R.A.F. personnel on his experiences, and his example and the example of others like him was used to encourage members of the R.A.F. to be escape minded.

He rejoined 150 Squadron, but from time to time was seconded on ‘Special Duties’ to 138 Squadron at Tempsford which was the lifeline of the S.O.E. in France. Because of his wireless expertise he was responsible for checking and fitting the important crystals used in the Agents’ tranceivers. Later in the war 150 Squadron went to Italy. Phillips was commissioned in 1943 and advanced to the rank of Flight Lieutenant in 1948, retiring from the R.A.F. in 1954. The group is sold with further research including a copy of his full MI9 escape report and copies of various Air Ministry telegrams and letters concerning his capture and escape.