Sergeant Daniel F Phillips

Sergeant Daniel Francis Phillips was born in 1917, the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Phillips, of Poplar, London. He married Eleanor H Litson, also of Poplar, on 10 November 1940.

He originally enlisted with the Royal Sussex Regiment (TA), and was posted to 7th Battalion for over a year, before transferring to the Royal Artillery, posted to 109th Anti-Aircraft Regiment in January 1942. He subsequently transferred to the Army Air Corps in October 1942, initially with 2nd Wing, transferring to 1st Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment at some point in early 1944 to prepare for the glider insertion to North West Europe.

Leaving the UK from RAF Brize Norton on 5 June 1944, he took part in the glider insertion to Normandy during Op Overlord flying a Horsa carrying a 13th Parachute Battalion jeep and trailer, motorcycle and five soldiers.

The glider he was flying with S/Sgt Colin Hopgood (Horsa CN35, Glider 133 - towed by an Albermarle Mk No 1823 from 297 Squadron RAF) crash landed at Saint Vaast En Auge on the 6th June 1944. The glider should have landed at Ranville, (12 miles S/E), but the tow rope broke when the plane reached the French coast, probably due to the anti-aircraft Flak. The glider crashed into trees, killing the two pilots.

Three passengers, Cpt Daisley, Pte Aldred (his batman) and Sigmn Davis (a despatch rider) died in the crash. The remaining two Airborne soldiers were later found sheltering in a washhouse near the crash site. They were fed by a villager for two days, before being captured trying to escape to Allied lines.

Sergeant Phillips died on 6 June 1944, aged 27 years old. He is now buried at St Vaast-en-Auge Churchyard, Normandy.