LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Robert Bruce GROVES
Service No: 409992
Born: Seymour VIC, December 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 November 1941
Unit: No. 44 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Dunholme Lodge
Died: Air Operations: (No. 44 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME359), France, 8 July 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Equennes Churchyard, Somme, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of David Govan Groves and Elsie Isabell Groves, of Seymour, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Seymour VIC
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2233 hours on the night of 7 July 1944 Lancaster ME359 took off from Dunholme Lodge to attack a flying bomb storage depot at St-Leu-d’Esserent, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Equennes-Eramecourt (Somme) and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of ME359 were:
Sergeant Lawrence Archibald Critchley (1822207) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Frank Hubert Gibberson (851417) (RAF (Auxiliary Air Force)) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer Dewhurst Graaff (160154) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Robert Bruce Groves (409992) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer John Sydney Hodge (157045) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Warrant Officer Arthur Holland (1028124) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Victor Devenant Purvis DFC (158090) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/16/368