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Groves, Alfred William

Date of birth:
1914
Buried on:
Commonwealth War Graves Gent
Plot: 18. Row: 6. Grave: 4.
Service number:
965345 (NCO)/109063 (Officer)
Nationality:
British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Biography

Alfred William Groves was born in 1914 and grew up at 10 Bucklow Avenue in Mobberley. He was the son of Samuel Groves who was born in Knutsford but who married Frances Eaton Brown from Brown Edge (Spring Bank) Cottages at the end of Stubbs Lane in the village. Samuel served with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Salonica, in the First World War but was discharged after suffering from bouts of Malaria.

On 15 August, 1942 Alfred Groves was the Observer on board Mosquito DK309 when the aircraft failed to return from a outward mission to Mainz when the two airmen (pilot Geoffrey Downe from Victoria, Australia) were shot down by Unteroffizier Max Kolschek near Mariakerke.

The bodies of the two were the first to laid to rest at the Gent Cemetery

Groves is also commemmorated on the War Memorial, St Wilfrid's Church, Mobberley, Cheshire.

Promotions:
? Flight Sergeant
31 August, 1941: Pilot Officer on Probation (Emergency)

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Flight Sergeant
Unit:
No. 107 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:
August 22nd, 1941
Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM)

Sources

Photo