1673191 Leading Aircraftsman Philip Grant SPENCER. BA (Oxon.)

43 (AS) Royal Air Force (Volunteer Reserve)

Accidentally killed on the 25 November 1943.

Aged 21, he was the son of Cyril Bickersteth and Maria Ermyntrude Spencer, of Burnley, Lancashire.

Whilst in South Africa he wrote an essay on the injustice of apartheid. Two books of Philip's poems have been published and copies of these are available in Burnley Reference Library. They are "The First 100", (his poems 1933 to June 1942) and "African Crocus and other poems", (his poems July 20th 1942 to November 23rd 1943). Philip Spencer's collection of letters, photographs and diaries have been deposited at Lancashire Record Office, Preston.

The screen at the rear of the Towneley Chapel in St Peter's Church, Burnley was erected in his memory by his family.
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He was educated at Sunny Bank School, Burnley and Richmond School, Yorkshire. Whilst at Richmond he won the Brackenbury Scholarship and proceeded to St. John's College, Oxford where he took his degree. Philip volunteered for the R.A.F. in April 1942 and in June 1942 he left England for flying training in South Africa. He was killed in a plane crash aged 21 on 25th November 1943 at Stutterheim in South Africa, as he was finishing his final course prior to being commissioned.

He is buried at East London (East Bank) Cemetery, Eastern Cape, South Africa.