Page 33 - issue19.04.2019
P. 33
Royal Air Force News Friday, April 19, 2019 P25
Obituaries
Teenage Air Gunner downed over
France went on to win the DFC
OM MAXWELL, who including one to Heinsberg, a town he
has died aged 94, was visited many years later when he was
still a teenager when serving at Wildenrath.
T his Lancaster was shot He was commissioned and in
down over northern France. He December was awarded the DFC.
baled out, and with the help of During early May 1945 he flew on
the French escape lines, he evaded Operation Manna, the air drop
capture and reached Spain after of food to the starving Dutch
crossing the Pyrenees. population. At the end of the war he
Born in Belfast, Maxwell joined was serving in India before leaving
the RAF when he was 17 years to be a teacher.
old and trained as an air gunner In 1952 he re-joined the RAF as
before joining 622 Squadron at an air traffic controller and served
Mildenhall. in Northern Ireland, Germany and
He attacked Berlin and dropped in Libya.
mines around the Frisian Islands. After three years at El Adem, he
On the night of March 15, 1944 his and his family drove across North
crew were tasked to bomb Stuttgart Africa and into Spain and France
– it was their sixth operation and before reaching Marham in a
Maxwell was in the rear turret. Volkswagen Beetle with a roof rack,
After successfully dropping their an unprecedented road journey at
bombs, the crew turned for home the time.
but very soon after the Lancaster He retired from the RAF in 1978
was hit by flak and badly damaged. before spending 10 years with the
East of Rouen, a fire intensified Sultan of Oman’s Air Force.
and the crew baled out. Five were After retiring, Maxwell worked
captured but three, including tirelessly with supporters to get
Maxwell, evaded and eventually a Bomber Command campaign
returned to the UK. medal but he had to settle for a
Maxwell landed in a field and for clasp to his 1939-45 Star. He was
the next 10 days he was sheltered by BOMBER COMMAND HERO: Tom Maxwell was invited to sign on at the RAF Wall of Gallantry at Cranwell last year. PHOTO: GORDON ELIAS a strong supporter of the Bomber
a farmer and his wife before he was Command Association and the
taken to Paris. the railway station where they were took them over the snow-capped flown back to the UK on May 22 Mildenhall Register and attended
Like all Bomber Command joined by three more Americans mountains into Spain where they Maxwell re-joined 622 Squadron the commemoration of the Bomber
crews, he was carrying a set of and a courier. They travelled by were arrested by the Spanish police. and immediately tracked down Command Memorial in Green Park.
‘passport’ photographs and one was train to Toulouse and on to Pau. After a week of house arrest, the WAAF who had packed his In 2016 he received the French
used to provide him with a forged Taken by bus and taxi to the where he met two other members of parachute to thank her for saving Legion d’Honneur from the French
identity card. foothills of the Pyrenees, he his crew, they were picked up by the his life. Government in recognition of his
He joined two American airmen joined a larger group of British British consul and were eventually Over the next few months he service during the liberation of
and a young girl escorted them to and American evaders and guides taken to Gibraltar. Maxwell was completed another 26 operations France.
Fighter pilot and Sultan of Oman’s Air Force commander
IR VICE-MARSHAL when the mountainous strongholds staff at the RAF Staff College at Force service.
Les Phipps had a wide of the rebels supporting an uprising Bracknell, an appointment which After two years in MOD as
variety of appointments were attacked with bombs and gave him the opportunity on the Director of Air Defence and
A as a Cold War fighter rockets. most weekends to fly air cadets in Overseas Operations, he was
pilot and during his service On his return to the UK he Chipmunk aircraft at nearby White promoted in March 1980 to be
overseas he saw action in Oman converted to the Hunter before Waltham. the Director General of Personnel
and during the Indonesian taking command of 19 Squadron By early 1973, Phipps had Management where he focused
Confrontation. He went on when his leadership and efficiency gained wide experience as a fighter on the recruitment, training and
to work in the export aircraft was recognised by the award of the pilot and operational service in retention of frontline aircrew.
industry. AFC. His above average assessment the Middle East. His appointment He encouraged his staff to
During his National Service he as a fighter pilot saw him posted to as Commander of the Sultan of conduct effective talent spotting
was selected for training as a pilot the Central Fighter Establishment Oman’s Air Force (SOAF) saw and career development of young
and in June 1951 he joined his where he developed tactics him in action again. His aircraft Servicemen and women. He was
first jet fighter squadron and flew and trials with the Air Fighting and helicopters supported ground appointed CB.
the Meteor with 19 Squadron. He Development Unit and the Day forces and the attack squadrons of After two years as the RAF
qualified as a pilot attack instructor Fighter Combat School. Hunters and Strikemasters were Director at the RCDS, he left the
and performed as a solo aerobatic After attending the Royal LIGHTNING DISPLAY TEAM FOUNDER: often scrambled to support them. RAF to join British Aerospace, first
display pilot. In 1956 he served in Naval Staff College at Greenwich, AVM Les Phipps One of his British officers, and a as Deputy Director of the Saudi
command of the RAF detachment he widened his joint Services final phases of the Confrontation veteran of SOAF operations, wrote: Project, supplying Tornado and
at Aqaba in Jordan during the Suez experience when he became wing with Indonesia. A wide variety “The SOAF Commander, Gp Capt Hawk aircraft to the Royal Saudi
crisis. commander operations at HQ 1 of aircraft and helicopters were Les Phipps, frequently visited the Air Force before he became Head
He remained in the Middle East (British) Corps based in Germany. detached to the base and he took squadron from his office in the of Training Systems, providing
for three years, first flying Meteors Always keen to fly, he did not allow every opportunity to fly them. north. He flew operational sorties training programmes and support
in the fighter reconnaissance this ground appointment to prevent His return to the UK saw in the Strikemaster and would to countries acquiring British
role with 208 Squadron based in him keeping in flying practice and, him appointed to command 29 put himself on standby during his military aircraft.
Malta before joining 8 Squadron whenever possible, he flew Hunter Squadron flying the Lightning visits.” He retired a second time in
at Khormaksar in Aden where he fighter reconnaissance sorties with from Wattisham in Suffolk where After attending the Royal College 1991 and invested his considerable
flew Venoms in the fighter ground the squadrons based at nearby he formed the Lightning Display of Defence Studies (RCDS) in 1975 experience and talents in
attack role. Gutersloh. Team, which demonstrated the he spent a year in Saudi Arabia in charitable work, which included
During a deployment to Sharjah In 1966 he headed for the Far aircraft’s spectacular rate of climb. command of the UK MOD Team being President of 459 (Windsor)
in the Persian Gulf he saw action East to command the RAF airfield In 1970 he was promoted to supporting the introduction of the Squadron Air Training Corps.
during the Battle of Jebel Akhdar at Labuan in Borneo during the Group Captain and served on the Lightning into Royal Saudi Air He died on March 3 aged 88.