Service No: 407864

Date of Birth : 14 Apr 1921

Place of Birth : PETERSHAM, NSW

Date of Enlistment: 1 Feb 1941

Date of Discharge: 25 Feb 1946

Rank: Flight Lieutenant

Date of Death: 8 Mar 2011

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Crew member --- part of OPERATION "THESIS"

 

A retaliatory raid that would be a large combined air strike against various ports and military establishments on Crete.  8 crews were chosen for this mission.  Gerry Grimwade flew with Squadron Leader L.H. Folkard, RAFVR

 

The "Thesis" Raid of Crete was to relieve pressure from the German operation "Huskey" - the Allied invasion of Sicily and avenge the execution of 100 Cretans who had been shot after assisting a Commando raid on the island.

 

454 were to provide 2 box formations of 4 aircraft each - each loaded with six 250 lb bombs.  A 230 mile flight.  The mission resulted in 5 aircraft lost over Crete.  

 

The planners at HQ had forgotten that although the Allies were on double summer time, the Axis were not.  The plan assumed the German defences would be at breakfast and be caught unawares, but in Crete, breakfast was over and the Germans were already attending their daily duties.  This combined with the time it took the escort to coordinate and so the Baltimores consequently arrived over the island first, alerting the island defences, anti-aircraft guns and enemy fighters. The German defences were fully prepared and hence the inevitable result of this low-level strike.

 

Gerry whose crew logged three and three-quarter hours for the sortie, was another of the lucky returnees.  Gerry said "we were a more experienced crew and didn't take undue chances". He later recalled "bloody lucky really and we watched Folkard go in, blown up by his own bombs."  Together with the five Baltimores, thirteen of the escorting Hurricanes were also shot down.

 

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FLIGHT CREW -  FA 300 - FIRST WAVE - 23.7.1943

Squadron Leader L.H. Folkard, FAFVR

• Warrant Officer F.R. Morgan, RAAF

• Flight Sergeant R.N. Lawson, RNZAF

• Flight Sergeant E.L. Grimwade, RAAF

• Flight Sergeant W.T. Hayes, RNZAF

 

The other 3 Crews:  AG 995; AG952;  FA390:A 

 

Second Wave - 23.7.43

 

4 CREWS:  FA409; AG869; FA247 AND FA224