LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Richard Arthur Von Der GROEBEN
Service No: 404793
Born: Brisbane QLD, 18 September 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1940
Unit: No. 154 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Station Wigsley
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1654 Conversion Unit Oxford aircraft V3874), Nottinghamshire, 13 July 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Shelford (St Peter & St Paul) Churchyard Extension, Nottinghamshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Arthur Richard and Ruby Olive von der Groeben, of Buranda, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 13 July 1942, Oxford V3874 took off from Wigsley detailed to carry out a non-operational high level bombing exercise. The aircraft crashed at 1320 hours when it flew into trees near Gunthorpe, seven miles east north east from the centre of Nottingham. The crew of three was killed. The aircraft was returning from the exercise on the Clifton Pastures Bombing range when it crashed. An Inquiry later found that the accident was the result of “unauthorised low flying.”
The crew members of V3874 were:
Sergeant Leslie Arnold Dobie (1000600) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Richard Arthur Von Der Groeben (404793) (Air Bomber/Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Robert Warren (1184333) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber/Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 163/175/94