Remembering Today 2/2/45 WO:James Harold Grubb,414563,189 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Royal New Zealand Air Force

Discussion in 'New Zealand' started by CL1, Feb 2, 2018.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Warrant Officer (Wireless Operator) GRUBB, JAMES HAROLD
    Service Number 414563

    Died 02/02/1945

    Aged 22

    189 (R.A.F.) Sqdn.
    Royal New Zealand Air Force

    Son of Harold George Grubb, and of Annie Evans Grubb (nee Blyth), of Wanganui, Wellington, New Zealand; husband of Annie Grubb, of Walesby, Nottinghamshire, England.
    Casualty
    Buried at DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY

    Location: Bayern, Germany
    Number of casualties: 2879

    Cemetery/memorial reference: Coll. grave 1. F. 12-15.
     
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  2. Pat Atkins

    Pat Atkins Well-Known Member

    From The Dover War Memorial: James Grubb was Wop/AG of Lancaster Mk1 PB840 CA-K, which took off 20.18 from Fulbeck and subsequently crashed at Unteröwisheim, 15 miles northeast of Karlsruhe. The crew were all killed except the rear gunner, Sgt Richard Frederick Dyson GM, who was made PoW.

    The Kelly crew were:

    F/O WD 'Ned' Kelly Aus.
    Sgt J Howarth Brit.
    F/O RJ Webb Can.
    F/Sgt AL James Brit.
    W/O JH Grubb NZ
    F/Sgt FA Fox Brit.
    F/Sgt RS 'Ricky' Dyson Brit.

    From WW2aircraft.net, quoting a 'Bomber Command diary': 'Karlsruhe. 250 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of No 5 Group. 14 Lancasters lost. No 189 Squadron, from Fulbeck, lost 4 of its 19 aircraft on the raid. Cloud cover over the target caused this raid to be a complete failure. Karlsruhe reports no casualties and only a few bombs. The report mentions 'dive bombers', presumably the Mosquito marker aircraft trying to establish their position. This was a lucky escape for Karlsruhe in its last major RAF raid of the war.'

    From Martin Bowman's Bomber Command Reflections of War: 'It is believed that PB840 was shot down by Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Schmidt of 2/NJG6 at 23.21 hrs: it was Schmidt's 9th Abscess. Bowman says the a/c crashed in a wood, one of 5 Lancasters (3 from 189 Sqdn) to crash near the town of Bruchsal that night.' In his book German Night Fighters Versus Bomber Command Bowman says PB840 fell into a wood near Oberöwisheim, the sister hamlet to Unteröwisheim, some 3km NE of Bruchsal.

    Cheers, Pat.
     
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  3. harkness

    harkness Well-Known Member

    Parents:

    Name: Harold George Grubb
    Birth Date: Oct-Nov-Dec 1890
    Registration Place: Christchurch, New Zealand

    Name: Harold George Grubb
    Marriage Year: 1922
    Marriage Place: New Zealand
    Spouse: Annie Evans Blyth

    New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981
    Electoral Year: 1935
    District: Wanganui

    Grub_01.jpg

    Name: Harold George Grubb
    Birth Date: abt 1890
    Death Age: 67
    Death Date: 21 Dec 1957
    Death Place: Wanganui
    Burial Place: Wanganui, Rangitikei, New Zealand
    Cemetery: Aramoho

    New Zealand, World War II Ballot Lists, 1940-1945
    Inferred Residence Year: 1941

    Grub_02.jpg
     
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  4. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    From the work of Alan Storr as held in the AWM

    The pilot was Flying Officer KELLY, WILLIAM DESMOND 426438 RAAF - none of the files regarding this officer held by the NAA have been digitised
     

    Attached Files:

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