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Phillip was born in Gosford NSW in 1922 and after matriculating found employment at the CSR. At the age of 18, he and his twin brother joined the RAAF, training in Australia, Canada and England. Phil was posted to 104 Squadron of the RAF to serve in Tunisia and Italy, flying Wellington bombers at night behind enemy lines to prevent supplies reaching Monte Casino and the Anzio beachhead. Later 206 Group performed the role of heavy bombers during the Russian advance through the Balkans, including dropping magnetic mines in the Danube River from 200 feet at 120 miles per hour. They also attacked the Rumanian oilfields and storage tanks as well as railway yards and factories in Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia and the Brenner Pass.
After 40 sorties, Phil took his crew to convert to Liberators before returning to Italy. He then returned to Australia to fly between Essendon and the island of Morotai with mail and equipment. He had a nervous breakdown, which required treatment, which eventually killed him in 1947. His DFC was awarded for the feat of flying and landing his aircraft on an advance aerodrome at night with no brakes and only a searchlight shining down a metalled runway. His C.O. was able to advise all Wellington Squadron that a Wellington could be flown on only one engine.
Operation 30 Brenner Pass by Humphrey Beckitt We were chosen to be the first pathfinder in old T for Tommy to light up the Brenner Pass so that the aircraft carrying the 4000-pound bombs could drop their load in the snow to create an avalanche to prevent the Germans from bolstering their forces in Italy. All was going well until we were over Lake Garda, about 10 minutes from the target. The port engine stuttered. The Skipper, Phil Pile, said that he might have accidentally knocked the throttle but a about a minute later the motor coughed again. "The course is 160 degrees, Skipper," I said and we turned for home. It was just as well that we were carrying only flares and not a 4000 pounder as we had the Alps not far beneath us. Luckily the faulty engine, still coughing every minute or so, seemed to be more or less managing and we were just able to dodge the defensive areas until we reached the Adriatic Sea where we jettisoned flares, guns, ammunition, incendiaries and even the astrodome to lighten the load. Phil, with no sign of panic, told us we were at 4000 feet and that he intended to try and fly the aircraft on one engine in case the dud one conked out just as we were landing. The starboard motor was doing 2400 revs at plus 6 inches boost. Joe was ordered to contact the nearest aerodrome and ask them to light a flare path. We did a right-hand circuit and made a two-mile approach. The Skipper told the Bomb Aimer that he would have to wind down the undercarriage and the flaps by hand because there was no power from the port engine and the flaps were needed to act as brakes. Some of us were ordered to take up crash positions with our hands and heads on our knees and feet braced against a wall. We all held our breath until Joe, the wireless operator, quietly said that he thought we were down. Everyone talked excitedly and at once and this was the first real emotion that had been shown since the first stutter two hours before. We were glad enough to curl up under blankets on a cement floor after a deserved and welcome breakfast. After a few hours of sleep, we learned from the ground staff that poor old T for Tommy's engine had seized solid. All the rest of 205 Group were advised after our experience that a Wellington could be flown home using 2400 revs and 6 inches of boost. 205 Group Wellingtons completed 416 operations from February 1944 to May 1945 from Italy, losing 251 aircraft and over 1400 aircrew. |