LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Robert Garfield GRIVELL
Service No: 417578
Born: Stirling SA, 12 January 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 June 1942
Unit: No. 218 Squadron (RAF), RAF Chedburgh, Suffolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 218 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PB768), Belgium, 1 January 1945, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Leopoldsburg, Limburg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Walter and Edna Grivell; husband of Thelma Dulcie Grivell, of Verdun, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Verdun SA
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster PB768 took off from RAF Chedburgh at 1606 hours on the night of 1 January 1945, detailed to bomb railway yards at Vohwinkel. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire over the target at 21,000 feet, sustaining damage to the duel supply feeding inner engine. This engine was stopped. Over Namur when homebound, the aircraft was hit twice in quick succession, by American anti-aircraft fire and the entire port side caught fire. As the order to bale out was given, the aircraft spun and fell at Emines in the Belgian province of Namur, 11 kms south east of Gembloux. Six of the crew members were killed and one injured.
The crew members of PB768 were:
Sergeant Kenneth Bennett (2214378) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Edward Percival Buttrum-Gardiner (1851287) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Hugh Clements (R/186020) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Robert Garfield Grivell (417578) (Pilot)
Flying Officer G Ingram (37809) (RAF) (Air Bomber) Injured
Sergeant Royston Elvin Keel (1809996) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie Peckett (1615706) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/16/510