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Groves, Louis Grimble, son of Keith Grimble Groves, barrister-at-law, and Dorothy, d. of Louis Herbert Moore; b. 1 Apr. 1921; adm. Jan. 1935 (R); left Dec. 1938; Univ. of Glasgow; RAF in WW2 (Serg. Met. Air Observer); killed on operational duties 10 Sept. 1945.
Louis Grimble Groves was born at Chelsea, London on the 1st of April 1921 the only child of Major Keith Grimble Groves, a barrister at law, and Dorothy (nee Moore) Groves of 4, York House, Kensington in London, later of “The Varrey”, Kirk Maughold on the Isle of Man. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from January 1935 to December 1938. He went on to the University of Liverpool where he was studying naval architecture when the war broke out.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, trained in Canada and rose to the rank of Sergeant. On his return to the UK he was based at the Metrological Office at RAF Brawdy.
Louis Groves and his crew took off from RAF Brawdy on the 10th of September 1945 in Halifax B (Met) Mk III RG380 X9-N on an “Epicure” sortie, to gather information on the weather over the North Atlantic. On their return to base, they were diverted to RAF Weston Zoyland due to bad weather. There was fog over Weston Zoyland when they arrived there and the aircraft was seen to pass over the airfield but, due to radio interference, communications were poor and it turned away. The aircraft was flying at a height of 1,000 feet when it crashed in dense fog into an escarpment in the Quantock Hills above Crowcombe Hall, to the south west of Williton in Somerset at 7.54pm, killing all on board.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer Keith Gordon Proverbs (Pilot)
Flying Officer John Joseph Frederick Hobden
Flying Officer Lindsay George McMillan
Flying Officer Patrick Alfred Bee
Warrant Officer Roy Donald Cartwright
Flight Sergeant Dennis Norman Everett
Sergeant Louis Grimble Groves (Metrological Observer)
Sergeant John Macilrick Bryce Gordon (Metrological Observer)
Flight Sergeant Robert William Vinton
His funeral took place on the 15th of September 1945.
A Correspondent wrote of him: - “Louis Grimble Groves was a fine young man, a fine sportsman and extremely popular with all who knew him. He spent all his holidays in the Isle of Man and his many friends here and elsewhere will deeply regret his untimely death.”
The L. G. Groves Award was established in his memory by his parents in September 1946. The award is made to recognise those who work to improve safety in the aviation industry. A memorial was placed at the crash site in 2016.
He is buried at St Maughold’s Church.
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Sergeant 1483506; 517 Squadron, Royal Air Force
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International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition
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Prepared for import into AtoM by Westminster School Archive staff, 2019-2020. Updated by Bethany Duck, Archives Assistant, September 2022.
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Sources
The Record of Old Westminsters: A biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster School from Play 1919 to Election 1989, Volume 4, compiled by F.E. Pagan and H.E. Pagan, Padstow, 1992.
Westminster School Second World War Memorial by John C. Hamblin, 2022.