On 11th June 1943 the pilot of this 231 Squadron aircraft was to carry out a "Tac/R Sortie and photos" (Army Co-Operation work) flight in conjunction with an Army unit when the aircraft's engine failed soon after taking off from Clifton airfield. The pilot made a wheels-up belly landing back at Clifton and the aircraft must have sustained some damage. 231 Squadron were one of a number of squadrons that carried out Army co-operation work mainly over the areas of high ground in Northern England. The Army used a large area of the North York Moors as well as a number of other areas of high ground including up at Otterburn, Northumberland. Because they were operating all over 231 Squadron were involved in brief detachments to other airfields or landing sites.
Pilot - F/O Phillip Basil Plumridge RAAF (408928).
Phillip Plumridge was born on 29th January 1917 in Invercargill, New Zealand and was the son of John Plumridge. His early life is still to be researched but he was working as an accounts clerk and living with his father in Golden Square, Victoria, Australia by 1941. He enlisted for RAAF service on 20th June 1941 in Melbourne and after basic training he was awarded his flying badge on 2nd May 1942. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 25th June 1942, and then later received promotions to F/O on 25th December 1942 and F/Lt on 25th June 1944. He left Australia on 24th August 1942 and on arrival in the UK in November 1942 he became briefly attached to the ATA at White Waltham on 5th February 1943. He was then posted to 5(P)AFU on 2nd March 1943 and then to 41 OTU before a brief course at the School of Artillery (at Larkhill) before posting to 231 Squadron on 9th June 1943. This was just two days before the mishap at Clifton detailed above. He was later posted to 128 Squadron on 25th January 1944 and 19 Squadron on 28th January 1944. He filed a joint combat report on 20th June 1944 claiming a Fw190 as damaged and on 8th September 1944 an Fw190 as destroyed. He later saw out the last few months of the war at 61 OTU. While in the UK he married Rosemary Bainton, (of Oswestry, Shropshire) in Bournemouth in March 1945. His appointment in the RAAF was terminated on 12th October 1945. Shipping passenger lists show him to have travelled between England, Portugal and New Zealand fairly regularly in the 1950s but it appears that he later settled in England and died in Dorset in 1997.
Back to monthly table.