Rodney Thirsk Phipps

Rodney Phipps

RCAF F/L - DFC

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Awards List in RCAF

Ottawa, November 12, 1943 - (CP) - In one of its biggest list of decorations for Canadian airmen, the R.C.A.F. announced tonight the award of one bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross, 28 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and four Distinguished Flying Medals to R.C.A.F. men overseas.
In addition, the list included six awards to R.C.A.F. men for gallant and prompt action.
The list of D.F.C. and D.F.M. winners, with next of kin, include:
Flt.-Lt. R.T. Phipps, Harry V. Phipps (father) Strome, Alberta

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Born in Strome, Alberta, 15 October 1918;
Home there.
Educated at University of Alberta, 1939-1940
- (science, aiming to become a mining engineer).
Worked pre-war as a labourer in warehouses
- and oil fields.
In May and June 1940 was in Rouyn mines
- spending the remainder of that summer
- on Dominion Topographical Surveys.
From October 1940 to May 1941
- he was a miner in British Columbia.
Enlisted in Edmonton, 15 May 1941.
No.2 Manning Depot, Brandon, 15 May to 20 Jun'41
No.7 Equipment Depot, Edm, 21 June to 13 Jul'41
Trained at
No.4 ITS, Edm, 14 July to 19 Aug'41
No.16 EFTS, Edmonton, 20 Aug'41 to 10 Oct'41
No.4 SFTS 11 October 1941 to 3 January 1942
Commissioned 2 January 1942;
Flying Officer, 1 October 1942;
Flight Lieutenant 22 May 1943.
Left Canada 24 January 1942;
No.3 Personnel Reception Centre
- Bournemouth, 10 February to 16 March 1942
No.2 (P) AFU, 16 March to 14 May 1942
No.54 OTU, 14 May to 24 August 1942
Sent by air to Cairo, 22 September 1942
No.272 Squadron, 30 Oct.'42 to 2 Mar.'44
No.79 OTU, Nicosia, 31 March to 27 Oct.'44
embarked for UK, 13 November 1944,
arriving 1 December 1944;
embarked for Canada, 14 January 1945,
arriving Lachine, 15 January 1945;
No.2 Air Com., Winnipeg, 26 Jan to 20 Mar'45
No.7 Release Centre, Edmonton, 21 March;
released 24 March 1945.

Medal presented 29 November 1947

Died in Calgary, 28 September 1965

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PHIPPS, F/L Rodney Thirsk (J9648) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.272 Sq.
Award effective 12 November 1943 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 166/44 dated 28 January 1944.

This officer has taken part in very many sorties involving successful attacks on shipping, airfields and rail installations. In September 1943, Flight Lieutenant Phipps participated in an engagement against eleven Junkers. Early in the fight a bullet pierced his windscreen, the gunsight was damaged and Flight Lieutenant Phipps was cut over the eye by splinters. Despite these difficulties he fought with rare skill and destroyed four of the enemy aircraft. His fine qualities have earned great praise.

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Victories Include :

17 Apr 1943
20 May 1943
30 July 1943

12 Aug 1943

24 Sept 1943

one Ju88
one Ju52
one He115
1/2 He115
one Do18
one Do26
4 Ju52/3Ms
one Ju52/3M

probable
destroyed
destroyed &
destroyed
destroyed OTW &
destroyed OTW
destroyed &
damaged

6.5 / 1 / 1

All with Rex Pontet-Piccolomini as Nav/Observer with 272 Sqn. Malta

The above list is a combination of Shores and Halliday.

He claimed 84 sorties (322 hours 50 minutes) on ops with 16 enemy aircraft destroyed (six in the air and ten on the ground) plus three damaged.

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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On these pages I use info from the Air force Association of Canada's web site
in Hugh Halliday's excellent Honors & Awards section,
Newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC)
as well as other sources both published and private