LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Stanley Bridson CRIBB
Service No: 423657
Born: Blackstone QLD, 26 November 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 1657 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Stradishall, Suffolk
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1657 Conversion Unit Stirling aircraft EP352), Herefordshire, 22 October 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery, Somerset
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Bridson Cribb and Mary Cribb, of Ipswich, Queensland, husband of Elsie Lorraine Cribb of Sydney, New South Wales Australia.
Roll of Honour: Ipswich QLD
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the 22nd October 1943, Stirling EP352 took off from RAF Stradishall, briefed to carry out a special navigation training exercise. At approximately 2120 hours, the aircraft flew into the ground at Rosemaund Farm, Preston Wynne, approximately six miles north north east from Hereford and all the nine crew members on board were killed.
The crew members of EP352 were:
Sergeant Stanley Bridson Cribb (423657) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Desmond Dickson (1550321) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Thomas Clifford Elstub (420551) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Victor Charles Gerrard (146302) (RAFVR) (Staff Navigation Instructor)
Pilot Officer George Peter Hewson (156343) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Albert Henry Hines (415982) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Eric John McMillan (1338724) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alfred Jack Smith (1852352) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer John Lawrence Stalker (133773) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/8/275