Leading AirmanCRIBB, OWEN LLANWARNE Service Number FAA/FX. 96196 Died 16/11/1944 Aged 19 H.M.S. Formidable Royal Navy Son of William Llanwarne Cribb and Catherine Edith Cribb, of Louth. Casualty
Owen Cribb was in 848 Sqdn, and died as a result of an aircrash according to naval-history.net. HMS Formidable was being refitted at Gibraltar, prior to transferring to the Pacific theatre. His brother, Lt John Llanwarne Cribb, had died in February 1942. He was also FAA, in 750 Sqdn (HMS Goshawk), and was also killed in an airbrush according to the same source. His son, also called John, posted on a naval forum in March 2017 that Lt John Cribb was a navigator (Albacore, or perhaps Swordfish) and was shot down on anti-submarine operations off Trinidad. A third brother, W/O Henry Llanwarne Cribb RAFVR was a Halifax pilot with 76 Sqdn and was killed 23rd June 1944 aged 28, on an operation to Laon; he is buried in Montchalons cemetery in the Marne, with his crew. Details from Alan Storr's RAAF fatalities database: Halifax LW656 MP-B took off from RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor at 2301 hours on the night of 22.23rd June 1944, detailed to bomb the railway yards at Lacon, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Crew: RAF WO H L Cribb, (Captain (Pilot) RAF Sgt R E Royal, (Flight Engineer) RAF Sgt G A Danbury, (Navigator) RNZAF Flt Sgt M W Cosgrove, (Air Bomber) RAAF 429831 Flt Sgt P S May, (Wireless Air Gunner) RAF Sgt I H Ross, (Air Gunner) RAF Sgt J S Webster, (Air Gunner) All three Cribb brothers are commemorated at All Saints, Legbourne, Lincs. RIP. Pat. Edit: just found this Forum thread from 2013 about the brothers here; also added Cribb crew details
UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 Name: Oven Llanwarne Cribb Event: Death Birth Date: 29 Aug 1924 Birth Place: Louth, Lincs. Death Date: 16 Nov 1944 Death Age: 20 TD
1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION The Old Rectory, Louth, Lincolnshire (Parts of Lindsey) FIRST LAST DOB OCCUPATION William L Cribb 16 Jan 1877 Custom & Excise Officer. Retired. Incapacitated Catherine E Cribb 04 Nov 1883 Unpaid Domestic Duties Mary C L Cribb 11 Jul 1908 Teacher Elementary
As can be seen, William died before his sons were killed. Their poor mother had much grief to go through. RIP
Not much to add, except that 848 NAS seem to have been operating Grumman Avengers at the time of LAC Cribb's death - I say 'seem' as there's not much out there on the squadron, really. No luck finding a report of the crash (although, to be fair, it's not an area I have any real knowledge of). Seems a shame not to know more about this lad and his two brothers, hence this rather shameless 'bump' for the thread. Cheers, Pat.