The Airmen's Stories - F/Lt. P A N Cox

Philip Anthony Neville Cox, of Brighton, Sussex was born in Patcham near Brighton on 21st July 1915, the son of Dr. Arthur Neville Cox M.D. (1887-April 1940) and Winifred Alice Neville Cox (nee Goddard) (1885-1958), of Brighton, Sussex.

PAN Cox went to Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School. He joined the RAF as an Aircraft Apprentice at No. 1 School of Technical Training, Halton in September 1932. He passed out in August 1935 as a Fitter.

He won a place at RAF College Cranwell and started there in September 1935 as a Flight Cadet. He was awarded the RM Groves Memorial Prize in 1937.

After graduating in late July 1937, Cox was posted to 43 Squadron at Tangmere. On 17th January 1939 he went to 11 Group Pool, St Athan as an instructor and was made OC 'C Flight on 28th August.

He was later attached to the AFDU, Northolt for instruction on air tactics.

In May 1940 Cox was at 6 OTU, leaving there for Hendon on 6th June for onward posting to France where he joined 501 Squadron as a Flight Commander. The squadron was withdrawn on the 18th from Dinard and operated on the 19th from Jersey, covering the BEF evacuation from Cherbourg. It re-assembled at Croydon on the 21st.

Cox claimed a Me109 destroyed and shared in the destruction of another on 20th July.

In combat over Dover Harbour on the 27th Cox was shot down in Hurricane P3808 by Lt. Horst Marx of 3./Erpr. Gr. 210 and reported 'Missing'. At the time Cox was thought to have been a victim of the Dover anti-aircraft guns.

Above image courtesy of Darren Prior & Relatives of the Few Facebook Group.

He was 25. Cox was friendly with a Naomi Pennell in Brighton, whose parents were noted for organising social occasions for their daughter's circle of friends. The letter to Naomi's mother from Cox's mother, who was 'Commandant' of the Sussex branch of the British Red Cross, survives (transcription below).

Above images courtesy of Andy Saunders.

Varndean Holt
Surrenden Road
Brighton

August 1st 1940

Dear Mrs. Pennell,

I have bad news.

Philip lost his life last Saturday July 27th while leading the squadron into an engagement off the SE coast during the Squadron Leader's absence.

The squadron had moved to Gravesend 2 days previously.

Phil phoned for me to meet him at Shoreham on Sunday the 21st, his birthday, after tea which I did, and took him back on Tuesday midday and saw him take off for the Wallops.

Bob also turned up unexpectedly on Monday - so for the last time here we had "the children" all together here.

I had a very nice letter from his Squadron Leader this morning. There will be a memorial service at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Dyke Rd on Saturday next 3rd August at 1130AM.

"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" [It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country (Horace)].

I feel he is with my husband who was very devoted to him.

Phil always enjoyed himself so much at your house. Thank you for being so nice to him.

Yours very sincerely,

Winifred Neville Cox

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His name is on the Runnymede Memorial, panel 5 (June 2025 - see below).

His younger brother was killed in action in 1944 (see below).

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.

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The combat report of Lt. Marx, and the two supporting evidence reports of Oblt. Hintze and Fw. Büttner of 3./Erpr. Gr. 210 courtesy of John Vasco, who discovered and published them in 1990 in 'Bombsights over England, The history of Erprobungsgruppe 210 Luftwaffe fighter-bomber unit in the Battle of Britain'.

Above: Lt. H Marx in front of his Me109E-4 fighter-bomber, Yellow 3.

Above: a translation of Marx's combat report.

Above: German pilots who featured in the events of 27th July.

L to R: Lt. H Marx, Staffelkapitän Otto Hintze. Fw. Büttner, Oblt. P Emmerich.

Marx was shot down and made PoW following the Croydon raid on 15th August 1940, Hintze was shot down and made PoW on 29th October 1940. Emmerich became Staffelkapitän of 3./210 after Hintze was shot down.

Above material courtesy of John Vasco.

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June 2022 - Lt. Robert Arthur Neville Cox was a member of the Royal Naval Reserve. He was awarded the King's Gold Medal when training aboard HMS Worcester in 1935.

He was awarded the DSC (gazetted 27th January 1942) for bravery under fire when his mine sweeper HMS Skudd was under aerial attack.

On 27th August 1944 he was aboard the minesweeper HMS Hussar, part of a flotilla sweeping the channel off Le Havre. The ships were attacked in error by rocket-firing Typhoons.

Hussar, HMS Britomart and HMS Salamander were sunk or badly damaged. 86 men were killed and 124 injured, many seriously.

Cox, aged 27, is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 92.

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4th June 2025 - Thanks to Dutch researcher Philip Reinders, the CWGC and other agencies it is now known that a month later a body was washed ashore at Westenschouwen in Zeeland in Holland and buried as an unknown British Air Force Officer, the records also showed some details of his name and number (Cox 33XXX). When he was concentrated into Bergen op Zoom cemetery in 1946 it appears some of these details were accidentally struck off and attempts to identify him missed resulting in him being buried as an “Unknown”.

A new headstone was dedicated by S/Ldr. Rev Jonathan Stewart RAF, the Station Chaplain at RAF Odiham.

Above L to R; WO N Rudge, 501 Sqn, RAuxAF, Captain S Edwards, RM (Assistant Military Attache British Embassy), Air Specialist 1 Marcus Gatenby, Band of the RAF Regiment and Rev. J Stewart, RAF, Station Chaplin RAF Odiham.

Above images courtesy of Joel Diggle.