Humphrey Phillips died on April 26th, aged 97. He joined the RAF as a fitter/mechanic in 1940, working on bombers. In 1942, with the introduction of the three more complex, four-engine aircraft types, the need for a dedicated flight-engineer was recognised - apparently for the first time. Phillips volunteered and was selected to be an instructor for the trainee F/Es, joining a conversion squadron for that purpose. To make up numbers for the "Thousand bomber raids", however, his unit was used for ops and in due course he flew 27 missions on Halifaxes and Lancasters, after which he was commissioned. During one raid, he and his skipper had been awarded the DFC after their Lancaster was damaged by a falling "friendly" bomb, which seriously injured the gunner in the mid-upper turret.
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituari...lips-obituary/