Phillip Mead

Flight Sergeant Phillip James Mead

This is a page about the war service of my dad, Phillip James Mead. I have pieced this information together from the little he told me when I was a boy, and the research I have recently done to try and find out more. See the page on researching RAF service. I suppose some of my appreciation for aviation came from him, partly through his willingness to buy me an Airfix kit most Saturdays when I was young (2/- a go), and the fact that he had flown on active service during the war. He joined the RAF in September 1940, and trained initially as a radio operator at 2 Signal School. In September 1941, he was posted to Stranraer, where I believe he flew with coastal command - he told me once that he had flown in Catalinas on coastal command, but I may be mistaken.

In early 1942, he was selected for further training, and in May that year, he was posted to 31 and 33 Air Navigation Schools in Canada, returning to the UK in December 1942. In early 1943, he was assigned to 3 General Reconnaissance school, which would complete his training. He was then assigned to 304 OUT (Operational Training Unit), where he was teamed up with his pilot, F/S K. Barwick, and they worked up to combat readiness.

The 177 squadron history "Silently, Into the Midst of Things" describes how aircrew completing their time at OTU would generally collect a new Beaufighter from the factory and then fly it out to India, ready for allocation to a squadron. The route from Britain was down across the bay of Biscay to Gibraltar, then across North Africa to Cairo, then across the Middle East to India. The records show that F/S P. Mead and F/S K. Barwick arrived in Poona in October 1943, and were assigned to 177 squadron in December.

They were put into operational service almost immediately. The primary role of 177 squadron was to fly seek and destroy missions primarily against transport targets, such as trains, trucks and river boats. These sorties were usually flown at 50 - 100ft above the deck when over enemy territory, leaving no room for manoeuvre if things went wrong. This led to a high rate of loss, and in the operational period for 177 squadron in Burma from 1943 to 1945, 1/3 of the aircrew were either killed or missing in action.

My dad's luck ran out on December 28th, 1943, when they were shot down a mile out to sea, whilst on a search mission for a crew who had gone missing the previous day. They managed to ditch the plane, and took to their dingy, paddling back to shore, only to find that they were behind enemy lines. Over the next few hours, they slowly made their way towards the allied lines, and finally made contact with a forward British Army patrol, who then guided them back to safety. As a result of ditching and using his dingy to survive, my dad was given membership of the Goldfish Club, the RAF club for those who have ditched in the sea. I still have his membership card and uniform badge.

The next episode recorded in "Silently, Into the Midst of Things", is flying as observer for Atholl Sutherland-Brown in March 1944, as his normal observer was on a jungle survival course. During their sortie, they came under intense flak, but made it home safely.

The next entry in my dad's records show that he was in hospital in Allahabad at the end of July 1944, and was sent back to Britain in mid-September. He was then in hospital until December 1944. I don't know whether he was injured, or had a tropical disease of some sort, but it was the end of his flying days. After a long period of recuperation, he was assigned to 3 Radio School in July 1945, and stayed there until his release from service in May 1946.

Having read "Silently, Into the Midst of Things", I can say that his war story is typical of many, and there were many others on the squadron who suffered greater personal loss. I can only record my thanks to all of them for the sacrifice which they made. My generation, and those after owe these men a great deal.

The photo on the left is from the Air Navigation School in Canada, and matching the date of October 1942 to dad's records, suggests that it was taken at the end of the training period, and shortly before returning to the UK. Dad is front row middle with his hands in his lap, arms unfolded.

The photo on the right is undated, but from the lack of uniform insignia, I think this is a picture of the new recruits at training school. Dad is second row, standing on the left. He looks very young, but then so did I at his age!

This page was last updated on 06/07/03