Philip Trevor Parsons (1916-1942)

Second World War Roll of Honour

Philip Trevor Parsons was born at Aston, Birmingham, on 8 December 1916, the only son of Squadron Leader Walter William Parsons, an engineer, and Madge (née Gilderthorp). He was educated at Charterhouse School, where he was in Verites House from 1930 to 1933, and matriculated at Downing College in 1935 studying Mechanical Sciences. At that time, he was living in Nevilly-sur-Seine in France. He was a member of the College Hockey XI from 1935-8 (with Denis Geach Parnall, a fellow Battle of Britain pilot) and was awarded Colours in Lent 1938. He was also awarded Colours in Golf, playing several matches for Cambridge University and was Captain of the College Golf Club in Lent 1938.

After graduating, Philip joined Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd as a selected pupil in 1938 and joined 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron in the Auxiliary Air Force in the same year. He was commissioned as an Acting Pilot Officer on probation on 31 October 1938 and was confirmed in his rank on 21 July 1939. Following the outbreak of war, he was mobilised on 26 August 1939 and was posted for further training before rejoining the squadron at RAF Debden in April 1940. Following the German invasion of France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940, the Squadron was deployed to France two days later and Parsons was credited with damaging several German aircraft from 15-17 May. The squadron was withdrawn to RAF Manston on 20 May 1940 and moved to RAF Wick on the 24 May to defend the fleet at Scapa Flow. They moved to RAF Castletown in June and to RAF Catterick on 1 September. Parsons was promoted to Flying Officer on the 3 September 1940. Two days later, the Squadron flew south to RAF Hendon to join the battle over the south of England, what would become known as the Battle of Britain, in which Parsons played an active part. (A detailed description of Parsons’ involvement in several flights defending the skies over London on 15 September 1940, including his combat reports, is available on request.) Philip was appointed as the Flight Commander of B Flight in December 1940. He commanded 504 Squadron from July 1941 to February 1942 and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 3 September 1941. He was married in 1941 to Vera Blunt of Exeter. On stepping down from the Squadron he spent a period as a lecturer for Fighter Command before returning to operations as a night fighter pilot with 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron. He was Mentioned in Despatches, announced by the Air Ministry on 11 June 1942.

At 12.13pm on 2 October 1942, Philip Parsons took off from RAF Colerne in Mosquito Mk II DD639 with his navigator, Flying Officer Paul Anthony Harding, for a training exercise to practise flying the aircraft on one engine. At 12.25pm the crew reported that having feathered the port engine, they were unable to restart it and that they needed to make an emergency landing. The aircraft experienced further difficulties as it approached the runway and Parsons fought to avoid a nearby hangar. The aircraft stalled and crashed into the western doors of the hangar before it exploded, killing both men. Philip was mourned by the College magazine, "The Griffin", as “a very lovable man, with a deep sense of duty and an essentially happy nature."

Squadron Leader Parsons was killed on active service on 2 October 1942, aged 25. He is buried at St John the Baptist Church, Colerne and also commemorated on the war memorials at Charterhouse School and at Burwash in Sussex.

Sources

Charterhouse School archives

TNA – RAF combat reports: AIR 50/163/49, AIR 50/163/67, AIR 50/163/18

TNA - 504 Squadron operations records: AIR 27/1964/11-12, AIR 27/1965/7-8

Image

Downing College Hockey XI, 1937-8 (DCPH/2/3/6/9). Parsons is second from left, back row. This photograph also includes Denis Geach Parnall (d.1940, centre, front row) and Noel Geoffrey Sprake (d.1942, second from right, back row). This photograph has been reproduced by kind permission of Gillman & Soame photographers and can be ordered online at enquiries@hillsandsaunders.co.uk.