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Clifford Grove |
 Name : Clifford Grove |
17/05/42,Boston III (AL347) Anti Sub Patrol 2hrs. Crew; Flt Lt Bell and WO/AG Flt Sgt Clifford Grove. of 22nd Squadron On December 14, 1942 Boston AL891 ( with fuselage code "DU-K". ) took off piloted by pilot F/O Wines with gunner Flt Sgt Clifford Grove on a bombing and strafing mission against the Membari River. On February 22, 1945 officially written off. Ultimate fate unknown, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Squadron | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
flt sgt | unknown | unknown | 14th December 1942 | On December 14, 1942 Boston AL891 ( with fuselage code "DU-K". ) took off piloted by pilot F/O Wines with gunner Flt Sgt Clifford Grove on a bombing and strafing mission against the Membari River. On February 22, 1945 officially written off. Ultimate fate unknown, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. | |||
Photos Submitted Through Our Directory |
  |  Group portrait of members of No. 22 Squadron RAAF in front of a Boston A20G aircraft. The men in the front row are all holding a Wolsley pattern solar topee with the RAAF tricolour flash sewn on the crown. Back row, left to right: 420003 Sergeant (Sgt) Bernard Henry Hudson; 405494 Sgt Allan Colin McLeish; 416992 Sgt Claude Elton Phoenix; Sgt Don Price; 400871 Sgt Austin James Collins (accidentally killed in New Guinea on 01 June 1943); probably 414630 Sgt Richard Joseph Newman; 413921 Sgt Lindsay Kenneth Wilson (lost on operations over New Britain on 12 September 1943); possibly 7115 John Robert Hallam; 408686 Sgt Alec Hall McKay; Sgt Keith Pritchard; possibly 25357 Sgt Patrick Joseph Dunne; 412571 Sgt Sydney Ian Hamilton Cleary. Middle Row: Sgt Harry Jameson; probably 411020 Sgt Clifford Grove; 411522 Sgt Eric George Turton Riley (lost on operations over New Britain on 12 September 1943); probably 420018 Douglas Frederick Lyons; 412878 Mostyn Clive Bailey; Jack Grant; probably 400872 Sgt David Keith Crowe; 401026 Sgt John Rupert Calthorpe; John Gordon; 405278 Sgt James Larkin; probably 413559 FO David John Ronald Fleming; 413085 FO Ross Arndell Lillyman. Front Row: 406958 Flying Officer (FO) Harold Mitford Rowell; FO Harry Craig; 402249 FO Philip Courtney Mullens (lost on operations over New Guinea on 01 June 1943); 402432 FO Robert Alfred Wines (accidentally killed at Angelsea Victoria on 11 December 1944); 402357 FO Vernon Harold Hunt; 358 Squadron Leader Charles Cuthbertson Learmonth (later commanding Officer 14 Squadron in Western Australia: accidentally killed at Rottnest Island WA on 06 January 1944: ‘Learmonth’ airbase in WA is named after him); 147 Wing Commander Keith Macdermott Hampshire; 034624 Flight Lieutenant Claude Robert Mascot Sladen; 406834 FO Richard Francis Fethers; 408760 FO Austin Neal Skinner; 405754 FO John West McMaster; probably 422144 FO Harold Edward Burns. |
Known Individual Aircraft : | ||||||||
Type | Serial | Codes | First Flew | Squadron History | Aircrew History | History Notes | Engine | Factory |
27/04/1942 | ||||||||
| Aircraft for : Clifford Grove | ||
| A list of all aircraft associated with Clifford Grove. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Boston 
Manufacturer : Douglas Aircraft Company Production Began : 1941 Retired : 1849 Number Built : 1942 | Boston There are three marks, the I has two 1,050hp PW Wasps, the II has two 1,200hp PW Wasps and the III has two 1,600hp Wright Cyclones. The Boston I was used by the RAF as a trainer and the II was used as a night fighter and called the Havoc I. The French order called for substantial modifications, resulting in the DB-7 (for Douglas Bomber 7) variant. It had a narrower, deeper fuselage, 1,000 hp (746 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SC3-G radials, French-built guns, and metric instruments. Midway through the delivery phase, engines were switched to 1,100 hp (820 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G. The French designation was DB-7 B-3 (the B-3 signifying "three-seat bomber"). The DB-7s were shipped in sections to Casablanca for assembly and service in France and French North Africa. When the Germans attacked France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940, the 64 available DB-7s were deployed against the advancing Germans. Before the armistice they were evacuated to North Africa to avoid capture by German forces. Here, they fell under control of the Vichy government and briefly engaged the Allies during Operation Torch. After French forces in North Africa had sided with the Allies, DB-7s were used as trainers and were replaced in front line units by Martin B-26 Marauders. In early 1945, a few DB-7s were moved back to France, where they saw action against the remaining isolated German pockets on the western coast. The remainder of the order which was to have been delivered to France was instead taken up by the UK via the British Purchasing Commission. In the course of the war, 24 squadrons operated the Boston. The type saw its first active operations with the RAF in early 1941, when 181 Boston IIs began to be deployed in night fighter and intruder roles. On 4 July 1942 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) bomber crews, flying RAF Boston aircraft, took part in operations in Europe for the first time attacking enemy airfields in the Netherlands. They replaced the Bristol Blenheims of No. 2 Group RAF for daylight operations against occupied Europe until replaced in turn by de Havilland Mosquitos. Some Havocs were converted to Turbinlite aircraft which replaced the nose position with a powerful searchlight. The Turbinlite aircraft would be brought onto an enemy fighter by ground radar control. The onboard radar operator would then direct the pilot until he could illuminate the enemy. At that point a Hawker Hurricane fighter accompanying the Turbinlite aircraft would make the attack. The Turbinlite squadrons were disbanded in early 1943. The III is now used in large numbers on fighter escorted raids on France and the Low Countries and is also used extensively in the Middle East. They have done very good work, and with the Ventura have replaced the Blenheim in this country. The Mk.III is also used as a night fighter and is known as the Havoc II. The A-20G became the largest production run of the Havoc series, numbering some 2,850 total aircraft. The A-20G followed on the heels of the A-20C production model and was a dedicated ground attack platform as opposed to the light bomber designation carried by preceding models. The initial production A-20G block (259 total A-20G-1's) featured the distinctive solid nose assembly mounting 4 x 20mm cannons (deleting the bombardier's nose position and bringing the crew total down to three personnel). The follow-up production block (Block 5) reverted back to a more conventional array of 6 x 12.7mm machine guns as the cannons were prone to jamming and offered up a slow rate of fire. The cannon-armed versions were mostly operated under the Soviet banner via Lend-Lease and understandably proved quite devastating in the ground attack role. Additional armament for either form of this aircraft included 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in a flexible dorsal position and a single 7.62mm machine gun in the ventral position (flexible mount). Bomb load totalled 2,000lbs of internally-held ordnance and/or 374-gallon drop tank. Engines for the aircraft were Wright R-2600-23 Cyclone supercharged radials of 1,600 horsepower each. Top speed was 317 miles per hour with a combat range of 950 miles and a modest ceiling of 23,700 feet. | |
| Squadrons for : Clifford Grove | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Clifford Grove. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
No.22 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 1st September 1915 Preux et audacieux - Valiant and brave | No.22 Sqn RAF No. 22 Squadron was formed at Fort Grange, Gosport, on 1 September 1915 The squadron trained on a variety of aircraft types, including the Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c, the Maurice Farman Shorthorn, the Bleriot XI and the Curtiss JN-3. It received its intended operational type, the Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b in February 1916, passing 14 BE.2s to 33 Squadron and departed for France seven months later with twelve FE2B two-seat pusher biplanes. These outdated aircraft were used for a year on reconnaissance tasks before Bristol Fighters arrived to take over these tasks. The Squadron moved to Germany after the War as part of the Army of Occupation and returned to the UK in August 1919 prior to disbanding at the end of the year. The Squadron was reformed at Martlesham Heath in July 1923, but in name only, as the aircraft it flew belonged to the Aeroplane Experimental Establishment. During the next decade, many new RAF aircraft west tested by the squadron prior to entering service. In 1934, No. 22 Squadron was reformed as a torpedo unit at Donibristle with Vickers Vildebeests. The squadron was still equipped with the Vildebeest when the Second World War broke out in September 1939, with the squadron carrying out anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel. From November 1939 the squadron started to receive Bristol Beaufort twin-engined monoplanes to replace its obsolete biplanes. The Bristol Taurus engines of the Beaufort proved unreliable at first, and the squadron continuing to fly operations with the Vildebeest while converting to the Beaufort. It flew its last operational mission with the Vildebeest on 20 December 1939 (The squadron was based at RAF Thorney Island from 10 March 1938 firstly using Vickers Vildebeest and then the Bristol Beaufort. It was possibly during this time when Flight Officer Kenneth Campbell won his Victoria Cross for a daring attack on the German battleship Gneisenau which was located in Brest harbour during April 1941 which unfortunately took his life. The squadron left on 8 April 1940 then came back to the airfield again on 25 June 1941 and stayed until 28 October 1941 ) On 6 April 1941, Flying Officer K Campbell led a flight of six aircraft in an attack on the German battlecruiser Gneisenau which was anchored in Brest harbour. Campbell's aircraft was the only one the vessel, and despite the awesome German defences, he managed to press home his attack on the Gneisenau before being shot down. It took months for the full story to emerge, but when it did, Campbell was awarded a well-earned Victoria Cross. In 1942, No. 22 Squadron moved to the Far East, re-equipping with Beaufighters in the process and undertaking anti-shipping rocket attacks. A month after the Japanese surrender, No. 22 Squadron disbanded. It wasn't until 1955 that the Squadron reformed again, this time as a search and rescue unit equipped with Whirlwinds. It is in this guise that No. 22 Squadron exists today, having flown Wessex helicopters for a number of years before receiving Sea Kings in the mid-1990s. | |
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