A RARE SOPWITH CAMEL FIGHTER PILOT'S DEATH PLAQUE.

To:
2/Lt George ILIFFE.
ROYAL FLYING CORPS & ROYAL AIR FORCE.

KILLED IN ACTION, 25th SEPTEMBER 1918.

George is also entitled to a War & Victory Medal pair.

[BIOGRAPHY]
George ILiffe was born in 1899 at Barnet, Herts and was the son of the late Reverend A. ILiffe & Elenor G. ILiffe of The Croft, Park Road, Barnet.

He joined the Royal Flying Corps at age 18 as a lowly AM.3 91837 (General Aviator) on 15th August 1917. He was clearly very keen to fly and after about two months basic military training & six months abinitio flying training he is seen on 11th May 1918 graduating as a Flight Cadet from No.3 Fighting School with further training on Sopwith Camels at 29 TDS (Training Depot Station) at Beaulieu, Hampshire on 16th August 1918. He then gained a commission as temporary 2/Lt on 23rd August 1918.

He was then immediately posted to the newly formed 213 Squadron in France where he flew Sopwith Camel fighters in combat for what was a typically and mercilessly short period of just four weeks until being Killed in Action on 25th September 1918. He was only 19.

[THE FINAL ACTION]
He and several of his fellows were patrolling in the THOUROUT area of France when at about 5:45-5:50pm they encountered and attacked an enemy flight of seven Fokker D.VII's at about 10,000 feet.

2nd-Lieut G Iliff (Kia), 213 Sqn, Camel E4385 was last seen when he and his patrol attacked 7 Fokkers 3 miles west of Thourout 17:45/17:45 on HOP; Ltn Paul Achilles, MFJV, claimed this as his 4th Victory at Hooglede at 17:50 to 17:50

The German unit of MFJ5 was led by Ltn PAUL ACHILLES a highly experienced 28 year old flight commander from Watenbuttel. George ILiffe was last seen flying Camel E.4385 in which he unsuccessfully engaged Achilles who claimed the British aircraft as his 4th kill. Achilles survived the war with a total of eight kills including one balloon. He died in 1966 at Wolfsburg-Brackstedt and is buried at Friedhof Brackstedt Cemetery, Germany.

The 25th September 1918 was a disasterous day for 213 Squadron as within an hour of Achilles combat with ILiffe he was to shoot down two more of it's Camels with other pilots in his flight claiming a further three of the squadron's aircraft in actions between Hooglede and Ostend.

ILiffe was initially posted missing in action but quickly confirmed as being Killed in Action on 25th September 1918. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial, France.















A VERY RARE & DESIRABLE R.F.C./ R.A.F. OFFICER'S DEATH PLAQUE TO A CLASSIC 19 Year Old GREAT WAR SOPWITH CAMEL FIGHTER PILOT WHO WAS KILLED JUST SEVEN WEEKS BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR.
Comes with full & greatly interesting service papers and other research.

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