LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Charles GROB
Service No: 425154
Born: Rockhampton QLD, 20 November 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 1942
Unit: No. 77 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Elvington
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 77 Squadron Halifax aircraft LL122), Yorkshire, 9 December 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward and Maria Katherina Josephina Grob, of Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Wowan QLD
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Halifax LL122 took off from RAF Elvington on 9th December 1943 detailed to carry out a non-operational day fighter affiliation training exercise. LL122 spun in and crashed at 1105 hours near Levenning, 15 miles north east of York. Five of the crew members were killed and two were injured.
The crew members of LL122 were:
Sergeant J S Clark (1556642) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Injured
Pilot Officer John Kenneth Forest (J/19350) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Charles Grob (425154) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Edward Frank John Hemming (R/94132) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie Reginald Mace (1803191) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Geoffrey Owen Sharpe (168970) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant R R J Simpson (425682) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber) Injured
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, 163/118/359