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Reed, Roland Anthony, brother of Richard Gordon Reed (qv); b. 29 Dec. 1920; adm. Sept. 1934 (G); left Dec. 1938; RMC Sandhurst, 2nd Lieut. Roy. Tank: Regt May 1940, Lieut. Nov. 1941; killed in action (Libya) 31 Dec. 1941.

Roland Anthony Reed was born at Clifton Campville, Staffordshire on the 29th of December 1920 the second son of the Reverend Roland William Reed and Claudia Mary (nee Poore) Reed of The Rectory, Clifton near Tamworth in Staffordshire. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from September 1934 to December 1938. He entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in 1939 before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Tank Regiment on the 11th May 1940. He was posted to the 8th Royal Tank Regiment and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 11th of November 1941.
On the 30th of December 1941, the 8th Royal Tank Regiment was in camp at Bir Bu Tabel when they received orders at 6pm to make an attack on Bardia Fortress the following morning in support of the 3rd South African Infantry Brigade. A, B and C Squadrons left camp a short time later in three columns and arrived at their assembly point at 8.45pm that night.
The supporting artillery barrage began at 4.15am on the morning of the 31st of December 1941 with C Squadron arriving at the forward assembly area at 5.15am. Their tanks began moving forward though gaps in the minefields, which had been cleared by the Royal Engineers, at 6.30am. A short time later they received a message from B Squadron reporting that the infantry were being held up by enemy machine guns and were requesting assistance. Two tanks, those of Richard Reed and Major Peter Norman Veale, went forward to attack the enemy positions but when they arrived there the enemy appeared to have withdrawn and they returned to rejoin the Squadron. At 9am, it was reported that two of the three main enemy strong points had been silenced but that a third was still active and the infantry could not locate its exact position. A soon as Richard Reed’s tank went forward to assist it received a direct hit from the enemy strong point and caught fire. The tank commanded by Sergeant Barrett met the same fate immediately afterwards. Sergeant Barrett ran across to Richard Reed’s burning tank and managed to rescue the driver and the radio operator before making for cover. The rest of the crew perished. The enemy gun position was knocked out by Peter Veale a few minutes later. With no infantry support available from the South Africans, the rest of C Squadron withdrew.
The Regiment’s objectives were taken by noon but an enemy counterattack began at 12.40pm, which was driven off by 5pm after heavy fighting. The surviving tanks from the Regiment withdrew for the night at 11.30pm.
He is buried at Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Joint Grave 3 E 9.

Rayner, William Vernon, son of William Rayner, M.R.C.S., of London, by Julia, daughter of William Dentith, of Manchester; b. July 17, 1880; adm. Sept. 27, 1894 (H); left July 1898; adm. a solicitor Dec. 1904; practised in Smith Square, Westminster; was living at Buenos Ayres in Aug. 1914 and on the declaration of war returned to England and enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers, and became a Lance-Corporal; served in France, and was sent home wounded March 1916, returned to the front in June 1916, and reported 'missing' three weeks later, when the advance was made near Bethune; presumed killed in action July 23, 1916; unm.

Purves, Walter Douglas Laidlaw, youngest son of William Laidlaw Purves, M.D., of London, by Elizabeth, daughter of Patrick Adie, of Isleworth, Middlesex; b. July 15, 1892; adm. Sept. 27, 1906 (H); left Dec. 1909; went to South Africa, and afterwards to the Malay States; enlisted in King Edward's Horse Aug. 6, 1914; 2nd Lieut. 9th Batt. East Lancs Regt. Dec. 22, 1914; Lieut. Sept. 4, 1915; acting Capt. April 24, 1917; killed in action on the Doiran Vardar front April 28, 1917; unm.

Plaskitt, Hugh, brother of Francis Joseph Plaskitt (q.v.); b. Oct. 3, 1880; adm. Jan. 19, 1893 (H); exhibitioner 1894; left July 1899; Ch. Ch. Oxon., matric. Michaelmas 1899; played lawn tennis against Camb. 1900; adm. a solicitor Dec. 1910, firm, F. J. Plaskitt and Co., Copthall Avenue, London; L/Cpl. A.S.C. in Great War I; m. Dec. 28, 1910, Norah Frances, daughter of Col. David Cowie, Madras Staff Corps; d. of malaria contracted on active service Nov. 12, 1917.

Plaistowe, Ralph Cuthbert, son of Cuthbert Plaistowe of Ealing and Christine Lilian, d. of Ralph Callard of Ealing; b. 6 Dec. 1911; adm. Sept. 1925 (H); left July 1930; Queens' Coll. Camb., matric. 1930, BA 1933; a chartered accountant, ACA 1937; practised in London and Leamington Spa; Sgt RAFVR, killed in action 1 Sep. 1941.

Ralph Cuthbert Plaistowe was born at Ealing, Middlesex on the 6th of December 1911 the elder son of Cuthbert Plaistowe, managing director of a fruit preserve and confectionary manufacturer, and Christine Lilian (nee Callard) Plaistowe of “Mansfield”, Elgin Road, Weybridge in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from September 1925 to July 1930. He matriculated for Queens’ College, Cambridge in 1930 where he graduated with a BA in 1933. He went to work as a chartered accountant and qualified ACA in 1937. He practiced in London and at Leamington Spa. He was awarded a Royal Aero Club Certificate (No. 16362) at Brooklands Flying Club on the 1st of October 1938 while flying a Tiger Moth aircraft. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Flight Sergeant.
On the 1st of September 1941 Bomber Command dispatched 34 Wellingtons and 20 Hampdens for an operation on Cologne. The weather was clear and returning crews reported that they saw a number of fires on the ground but many of these were German decoy fires. The German authorities reported that one house was damaged in the city and that there were no casualties on the ground.
Ralph Plaistowe and his crew took off from RAF Scampton at 8.13pm on the 1st of September 1941 in Hampden Mk I AE187 OL-L for the operation. They crossed the English coast at Orfordness. The aircraft was shot down by an enemy night fighter flown by Oberleutnant Wilhem “Willi” Dimter of 3./NJG1 and crashed at Deurne, Noord Brabant, 9 kilometres to the east south east of Helmond in Holland at 11.47pm with the loss of the entire crew. Theirs was the fourth victory of an eventual eight victories for Willi Dimter before he was killed in action on the 7th of September 1942.
The crew was: -
Sergeant James Hughes (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Adrian John Somerville-Woodiwis (Navigator)
Sergeant Ralph Cuthbert Plaistowe (Pilot)
Sergeant Robert Buist Scott (Air Gunner)
Theirs was the only aircraft which failed to return from the raid.
The crew was buried at the Military Cemetery, Eindhoven on the 2nd of September 1941. Their bodies were exhumed for identification purposes and were reburied on the 23rd of April 1947.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Queens’ College, Cambridge and on the 1939-1945 Roll of Honour of Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Articled Clerks.
He is buried at Woensel General Cemetery, Eindhoven Plot JJ, Grave 35.

Pierson, Peter Douglas Humphrey, son of George H. Pierson, manufacturing chemist, and Hel­ena Marion, d. of William Edward Jones of Eastnor, Herefordshire; b. 12 July 1919; adm. May 1933 (H); left July 1936; enlisted Gunner HAC, transf. RHA 1940 (L/Bdr), p.o.w. Greece 1941; d. as prisoner in Germany 18 Oct. 1942.

Peter Douglas Humphrey Pierson was born at St Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire on the 12th of July 1919 the son of George Humphrey Pierson, a manufacturing chemist, and Helena Marion (nee Jones) Pierson of 94, Queensway, Bayswater, London W2.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from May 1933 to July 1936.
He enlisted as a Gunner in the Honourable Artillery Company in 1939 where he served with D Battery. He transferred to the 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery in 1940. He was posted to Egypt and later to Greece.
He was captured at the fall of Greece on the 28th of April 1941 and was taken to Germany where he was interned at Stalag XVIIIA at Wolfsburg from the 24th of September 1941 as POW No. 1208. On his arrival there it was recorded that he was six feet four inches tall and that he had brown hair.
He was admitted to the hospital at Wolfsberg on the 18th of October 1942 suffering from typhus. He died there the following day.
He was buried at Wolfsberg Cemetery II, Grave 24 on the 21st of October 1942 but his body was later exhumed and moved to its present location.
He is buried at Klagenfurt War Cemetery Plot 6, Row A, Grave 4.

Phillips, Godfrey Sidney Philip, son of Morris G. P. Phillips and Gretta Wharton; b. 21 Mar. 1921; adm. from Repton Sch. May 1935 (R); left Apr. 1938; RNVR (A) in WW2; killed in action in HMS Patia 27 Apr. 1941.

Godfrey Sidney Philip Phillips was born at Chelsea, London on the 21st of March 1921 the only son of Morris Godfrey Philip Phillips and Annie Margaretta “Gretta” (nee Wharton formerly White) Phillips of 3, Kensington House, Kensington High Street, Kensington in London.
He was educated at Repton School and at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from May 1935 to April 1938.
He enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Leading Naval Airman 1st Class in the Fleet Air Arm before becoming an Ordinary Seaman. He was posted to the 5,500 ton naval auxiliary vessel HMS Paita which had been requisitioned by the Admiralty in September 1940 and had been fitted out as a aircraft catapult ship for the defence of convoys.
On the 27th of April 1941, HMS Patia, under the command of Commander David Marion Burton Baker RNR, set sail on her maiden voyage as part of a convoy. She was on her way to pick up a Hurricane Mk IA aircraft which was to operate from her. After nightfall HMS Patia was sailing near 20G Buoy off Coquet Island, some eight miles off Seaton Point in Northumberland when she was attacked by a Heinkel 111 bomber which dropped two 550lb bombs on her. The aircraft also fired on her with its machine guns, killing four of her crew. Both of the bombs fell short of the ship. Under heavy fire from HMS Patia’s gun crews the Heinkel turned for a second run and, although hit by anti aircraft fire, it dropped more bombs, one of which hit the ship causing a massive explosion. Hit by anti aircraft fire from the ship, the enemy aircraft was forced to ditch into the sea with the crew being taken prisoner.
HMS Patia had been badly damaged with many of her crew having been killed or wounded in the attack. As the stricken vessel began to sink the survivors climbed into lifeboats in the pitch black. The Boulmer lifeboat “Clarissa Langdon” was launched at 11pm and made for the site of the sinking where it found a great deal of wreckage but none of the crew. At daybreak they received a call from the local coastguard that three men had been seen on a life raft and these were rescued by the fishing boat “Primrose”. More men were later rescued and a number of bodies were recovered from the sea during the morning.
One of the lifeboats came ashore at Howick Burn with 41 survivors on board and another landed at Embleton Bay with 40 men on board, both making landfall at around 1am.
The Captain, seven officers and thirty one ratings had been killed during the attack.
He is commemorated on a brass plaque at Boulmer lifeboat station.
He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial 50,2.

Philcox, Philip George, brother of Geoffrey Vincent Philcox (qv); b. 24 July 1909; adm. Apr. 1923 (R); left July 1927; Caius Coll. Camb., matric. 1927, BA 1930; a stockbroker; RNVR (A) 1939-40 (Lieut.); m. 27 June 1936 Constance, d. of John Hutton of Effingham, Surrey; accidentally killed on active service 12 Mar. 1940.

Philip George Philcox was born at Streatham, South London on the 24th of July 1909 the third and youngest son of George Ernest Philcox, a stock and share dealer, and Edith (nee Vincent) Philcox of 9, Aldrington Road, Streatham Park, later of Stone Court, Staplefield in Sussex. He was christened at St Alban’s Church, Streatham Park on the 3rd of October 1909.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from April 1923 to July 1927. He matriculated for Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 1927 from where he graduated with a BA in 1930. On leaving university he worked as a stockbroker’s clerk from 1933 before becoming a stockbroker and a Member of the London Stock Exchange. He became a Partner his father’s firm of Philcox & Co of 1, Copthall Chambers, Angel Court, London where he became prominent in the West African market and later in the South African market.
He was married at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton on the 27th of June 1936 to Constance (nee Hutton later Belchem) of South Lodge, Effingham, Surrey; they lived at Tunmore Farm, The Street, West Horsley in Surrey.
He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Reserve of Air Force Officers on the 19th of March 1928 and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 19th of September 1929. He passed onto the non active list on the 3rd of March 1935 and relinquished his commission on the 19th of March 1938, retaining the rank of Flying Officer.
Following the outbreak of war he was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant (A) in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the 27th of September 1939 and was later promoted to Lieutenant (A). He was posted to 758 Naval Air Squadron and was attached to HMS Raven, the Royal Naval Air Station at Eastleigh as an instructor.
George Philcox took off from RNAS Eastleigh at 10am on the 12th of March 1940 in Proctor Mk 1A P6008 with trainee air gunner, Able Seaman Douglas Lucas, for a wireless training exercise. Shortly after taking off the aircraft experienced trouble with its engine and George Philcox decided to make a forced landing. Having made an attempt to land in a field which he had been forced to abandon he was making a turn at low level when the aircraft stalled, the port wing tip struck the ground and it crashed at Stanmore Lane, Winchester, to the south of Worthy Down airfield in Wiltshire. George Philcox was killed on impact with Douglas Lucas being mortally injured and dying later in the day.
His wife received the following telegram dated the 12th of March 1940: - “From Admiralty. Deeply regret to inform you that your husband Lieut. P.G. Philcox was killed in an aircraft accident this morning near Worthy Down.”
An inquiry was convened at RNAS Eastleigh under the chairmanship of Commander R. Poole RN to determine the cause of the accident and it reported its conclusions in a report dated the 18th of March 1940: - “The reason which caused the pilot to forced land cannot be definitely established from the evidence, but the Board is of the opinion that it was most probably due to the loss of engine revolutions or irregular running of the engine, which may have been caused by the water which was found in the petrol system on examination after the crash.”
The Surrey Advertiser wrote of him: “He was very popular in all sections of the “House “and was held in high esteem by all with whom he came into contact by his endearing nature and kindly disposition. His tragic and untimely death is deeply regretted.”
His funeral took place on the 16th of March 1940 in a service which was conducted by the Reverend W. A. Dengate.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at St Mark’s Church, Staplefield.
He is buried at St Mark’s Church, Staplefield.