Orders, Decorations and Medals

A particulary fine, well-documented and poignant Battle of Britain Spitfire ace’s D.F.C. group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant D. G. Gribble, Royal Air Force, who, having been compelled as a result of combat damage to make a forced-landing on a beach near Dunkirk in May 1940, went on to claim six confirmed victories, besides several probables and damaged, the vast majority of them at the height of the Battle in August 1940, a gallant operational career that is well recorded in the memoirs of his fellow 54 Squadron pilots, Al Deere and Colin Gray - he was killed in action in a Channel sweep in June 1941, having been heard to call “Engine cut, baling out”

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1940’ and privately inscribed, ‘Flight Lieut. D. G. Gribble’; 1939-45 Star, clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, contained in an old leather case, extremely fine (4) £14000-18000

D.F.C. London Gazette 13 August 1940. The original recommendation states:

‘Since the outbreak of war, this happy young Fighter Pilot has taken part in almost every offensive patrol carried out by his squadron during the invasion of the Low Countries, throughout the Dunkirk operations and, in more recent times, the intensive air fighting over the Channel.

A survivor of Dunkirk, he was, himself, shot down there, but made his way back again to this country, salving some valuable wireless equipment from his aeroplane.

Throughout innumerable offensive patrols to date, Pilot Officer Gribble has led his section, and recently his Flight, with great courage, gallantry and determination. On one occasion, having fired all his ammunition, he was bringing back two other pilots of his section who had not fired any of theirs, when he sighted a Vic of 6 Do. 17s. Without hesitation, he led the two other pilots - although subjected to severe cross-fire against which he had no means of replying - into the attack with such determination that the effective bombing of an important convoy was prevented. Pilot Officer Gribble has so far, himself, destroyed 3 Me. 109s and damaged a great many more.

Both in the air and off duty on the ground, this officer’s cheerful manner and example have done much to keep up the high morale of his squadron during the hard times it has recently passed through.’

Dorian George Gribble was born in Hendon, London in June 1919, but was brought up on the Isle of Wight, where he was educated at Ryde School. Joining the Royal Air Force on a short service commission in March 1938, he attended No. 11 F.T.S. at Shawbury before being posted to No. 54 Squadron, a Gladiator unit based at Hornchurch, in December 1938. Shortly thereafter the Squadron was re-equipped with Spitfires.

With the onset of the German invasion of the Low Countries, No. 54 went into action, Gribble flying his first offensive patrol to Ostend on 16 May 1940. The previous evening, in an operational briefing delivered to the pilots in the Officers’ Mess billiard room, Al Deere had scanned the audience:

‘The central figure was, as always, Pilot Officer George Gribble. Very English, very good looking and bubbling over with the enthusiasm of his twenty years, he epitomized the product of the public school; young yet mature, carefree yet serious when the situation required and above all possessing a courageous gaiety which he was later to display in abundance.’

A little over a week later, on the 24th, in 54’s second patrol of the day - a large scale dogfight over the Dunkirk-Calais sector in which Colin Gray later recalled seeing ‘nothing but black crosses hurtling around in all directions’ - Gribble destroyed a Me. 109 after firing 1700 rounds from 250 yards range (‘I saw my tracer crossing into his aircraft while he was on his back. He just fell into the ground ... ’).

The following day his Spitfire was badly damaged when 54 was jumped by about a dozen 109s, and he carried out a forced-landing on a beach near Dunkirk - but removed his radio equipment from the cockpit before finding passage home in a tramp steamer bound for Dover. Al Deere later recalled his arrival back in the U.K.:

‘A pleasant surprise awaited me when I walked into the Mess on the way to supper. In the hall stood George Gribble with, of all things, the radio set from his aircraft under his arm.

“Do you mean to say that you carted that thing all the way back with you?” I asked, clasping him warmly by the hand.

“Seemed the sensible thing to do, old boy. So far as I know these particular sets are still on the secret-list and we don’t want the Huns to get a free copyright,” he answered.

This was typical of George. He must have gone to no end of trouble to carry such an awkward and fairly heavy piece of equipment back with him. Apparently the captain of the ship that brought him home had tried to dissuade him for, as he pointed out, space was at a premium, and it must be men before material. Once having made up his mind, nothing would deter Geroge.’

The Squadron moved to Catterick on 28 May, and thence back to Hornchurch on 4 June, but it would not be until July that it returned to frontline duties.

Battle of Britain

With the advent of the Battle proper, 54 started to operate out of Rochford and Manston, and on 24 July, over North Foreland, in what Colin Gray described as a ‘terrific dogfight ... in no time at all it became a crazy mixture of Spitfires and Me. 109s chasing one another round in circles’, Gribble claimed a brace of Me. 109s destroyed (unconfirmed). The following day, when just five of 54’s Spitfires joined in combat with two waves of Ju. 87s, escorted by about 80 109s, Gribble led ‘Green’ section, but with two of their number shot down, 54’s survivors were compelled to beat a hasty retreat back to Manston, ‘but not before we had to take violent evasive action’.

On 26 July, the Squadron moved to Catterick, the very same day on which Gribble was appointed Flight Commander of ‘B’ Flight, and in fact the date on which he was recommended for the D.F.C., the covering remarks of Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park stating:

‘This cheerful young pilot has shot down 3 enemy aircraft and damaged many more. He was particularly gallant in leading his Flight on a recent occasion. He had fired all his ammunition - however, he led his section against a Vic-formation of 6 Do. 17s and so prevented the effective bombing of an important convoy. As a leader he is outstanding - his morale and cheerful bearing are an example to the Squadron. For his outstanding qualities as a leader, I strongly recommend him for the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Air Chief Marshal Dowding concurred, his signature of approval being dated 31 July 1940.

Early August witnessed the Squadron moving to Hornchurch, and on the 15th, Gribble damaged a Ju. 87 in a dogfight over Dover-Hawkinge sector, one of 30 87s with a 40-strong Me. 109 escort - ‘I dived into the attack, using 12 boost, and fired a long burst at one from astern. It seemed to “shudder” in mid-air and then dived steeply with black smoke coming from it. I saw my ammunition entering the machine.’ Later that day, he also destroyed a Me. 109 and damaged a Do.17 over the Maidstone. Of the fate of the 109, his combat report stated:

‘On breaking again I came up and engaged a Me. 109, chasing it out towards the sea. The cloud was about 10/10 at 13,000 feet, so I had not very much idea of where I was. I gave the enemy aircraft a longish burst from 350 closing to 250 yards. The enemy aircraft dived and then burst into flames ... ’

The very next day, the 16th, he damaged a Me. 109 east of Hornchurch - ‘I managed to get in a long burst (10 seconds), opening at 300 yards and closing to 200 yards range. Smoke began to pour out of the machine and it went into a dive’ - while on the 18th, when the Squadron was sent down to Manston for the third day running, Gribble acted as “Blue Leader” in ‘B’ Flight, and destroyed another Me. 109, in addition to damaging a Me. 110 and two He. 111s, these being his first successes in Spitfire R6899, which aircraft he now flew continuously until early September. Of the Me. 109, he wrote in his combat report:

‘The enemy leader broke away down southwards. I followed him down; when the speed was 400 he pulled up gently, presenting an easy target. Then he levelled out, and I came within 100 yards, firing a long burst into the engine and cockpit. He burst into flames and went down slide-slipping and then on his back, out of control. He was silver with yellow wing tips.’

On the afternoon of 20 August, and as verified by an original message pasted into his flying log book, Gribble took a huge risk - ‘The Group Commander commends the fine offensive spirit of the single pilot of No. 54 Squadron who chased nine He. 113s across to France this afternoon ...’ And it was just the sort of risk that prompted Churchill to make his famous tribute to the “Few” the very same day. But as Al Deere observed, ‘When I heard about what Churchill said about the many and the few, I said to my friend George Gribble - he was killed in action later - “By Christ, he can say that again. There aren’t many of us left.” ’

Two days later, on the 22nd, Gribble got a probable Me. 109 off Deal, having fired half of his ammunition into the enemy fighter at 100 yards range - ‘This was just above sea level and the enemy pilot pulled back his stick and at 500 feet tried to do a flick stall - from which he could not possibly have pulled out.’ The 24th witnessed him damaging a Me. 110 over the Dover-Folkestone sector - ‘I experienced a certain amount of rear-gun fire which did not hit me’ - and later in the day he destroyed a Me. 109, ‘which was seen to crash west of Faversham by the searchlights’.

On 28 August, in 54’s second patrol of the day, ‘early after lunch’, and in a combat with 30 Dorniers that were heading for Rochford, he destroyed one of the Me. 109 escorts; so, too, another of the same type later that afternoon, in an action against what Colin Gray described as ‘a massive fighter sweep of Me. 110s and 109s’. On this occasion, Gribble made no mistakes, closing to 50 yards range - ‘I saw the pilot bale out.’

The 31 August proved a momentous day for 54 Squadron, for as Colin Gray would recall, ‘we lost four Spitfires, but happily no pilots, and our airfield was bombed twice, once as we were taking off’. But for Gribble’s quick reactions on the latter occasion, when he ordered his Flight to ‘press their emergency boost tits (giving double take off power)’, several more aircraft and pilots may have been hit on the ground. As it transpired, he and his No. 2 ‘managed to put paid to a 109 who had rather foolishly come down to ground level to see what he could find’: ground level indeed, Gribble’s flying log book noting ‘Shot down 1 Me. 109 and a COW! just N. of aerodrome’, while his No. 2’s Spitfire returned with pieces of tree sticking to it. Al Deere later heard from Gribble about his claim for a Cow:

“Well, we managed to catch up with those Huns who bombed the airfield, somewhere between here and Southend. Norwell and I fastened on to a Me. 109 which we chased at tree-top height across Essex, taking a pot shot at him whenever the trees would allow. In the course of our chase we crossed a meadow full of grazing cows and unfortunately I chose that moment to fire another burst. A cow was right in my line of sight and took the full blast. It went up vertically for about twenty feet, just as if someone had ignited a rocket tied to its tail, before plomping back to earth. I’ll bet there’s still a look of amazement on that cow’s face when the farmer finds it.”

It was about this time that Deere admitted ‘Our morale was getting a bit low because there were only three of us left in the Squadron - George Gribble, Colin Gray and me - who had any combat experience. We had been there the whole time and were pretty tired. Each time we went up, there seemed to be more and more Germans up there. We’d gone through two Squadron Commanders. The new pilots who came in - they just went up and came down!’ By way of illustrating the type of pressure 54’s pilots were now under, Gribble’s flying log book notes no less than four patrols being flown on the first and second days of September - on the 2nd he shot down a Me. 109 of 1JG/51 in a combat over Kent, the enemy aircraft crashing at Nethersole Park, Womenswold, east of Barham (the pilot, Lt. Ruettowski, was killed).

But at least on the 3rd he was able to enjoy a somewhat quieter day, his flying log book noting, ‘Presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross by His Majesty King George VI at Buckingham Palace’, his attendance at the investiture only made possible by the Squadron’s move to Catterick for a “rest”. It was also on this date that he was advanced to Flying Officer but, as Al Deere re-affirmed, 54’s pilots were by now ‘really flaked out ... I hardly knew what we were doing. We used to fly down to Manston [from Hornchurch], get bombed there, do two or three ops, get bombed again, then home again in the evening - when we could. When we were sent up to Catterick on 3 September, 54 Squadron was down to three experienced pilots, Colin Gray, a fellow New Zealander, George Gribble and me.’

Gribble’s combat experience was again to the fore on 27 October, when he damaged a Ju. 88 over the Cleveland Hills, his final official Battle of Britain encounter.

Killed in Action

On 6 November, he damaged a Me. 111 south-east of Catterick - his score now stood at 6 and 1 shared destroyed, 2 unconfirmed destroyed, 2 probables and at least 9 damaged - and by the time No. 54 returned to Hornchurch in February 1941, he was the sole remaining member of the Squadron’s original wartime line-up. Al Deere came to say goodbye on the 23rd, as Gribble took-off on another sortie:

‘Amidst thick snow, and in a biting wind, I stood at the end of the runway as pair after pair of aircraft lifted into the air above my head and turning on to a southerly course disappeared into the murk of the snow-laden sky. With two fingers raised in Churchill’s V-sign, and his smiling eyes bidding me a fond farewell, George’s aircraft passed by in a last salute. I would never set eyes on him again.’

A constant flurry of cross-Channel offensive and convoy patrols ensued until, on a bomber escort sortie on 4 June 1941, Gribble was killed in action. He was seen leading his section against two Me. 109s, when it was suddenly “bounced” by further enemy fighters, and was heard to call over his R./T., “Engine cut, baling out”. A fellow pilot, Pilot Officer Batchelor, saw his parachute going down into the sea, some 12 miles off the English coast, and no doubt was responsible for furnishing much of the detail provided in a letter sent by the Squadron C.O. to Gribble’s mother on 9 June:

‘The Wing was doing an offensive sweep in the Dunkirk-Calais-Boulogne area. George led his four aircraft in to attack four Me. 109s, and in the ensuing dogfight must have got hit in the engine. His aircraft, however, went down under control and at about 1000-1500 feet he baled out. His Number 2 saw him going into the water, and circled the spot giving a position to Control, who immediately set in motion the rescue organisation. I am sorry to say that this aircraft had to leave the spot owing to shortage of petrol. When the boats reached the spot no trace of your son could be found; although the search was kept up for the next four hours.

George was an exceptional pilot and leader and also a very keen officer. He was also very entertaining in the Mess and most loved by all of us. The whole Squadron will miss a very gallant and brave gentleman for a very long time to come ... ’

While his sweetheart, a W.A.A.F., wrote to his mother on the same day:

‘I don’t need to tell you how wonderful he was and how full of life, but I do want to tell you how loved he was by everyone, and to use his own expression - what a ‘whizzy-bang pilot’. I often talked to the men under him - the junior pilots - and they all had the most complete confidence and never ending praise for him.’

Deere wrote that Gribble ‘typified more than any other the spirit of the Battle of Britain pilot’, but his final epitaph remains imprinted in 54’s Operational Record Book:

‘Flight Lieutenant D. G. Gribble, D.F.C., was the last member of the old 54. His exploits are recorded on nearly every page of this history. It only remains to be said that his personality was everywhere identified with the name of the Squadron and no one who knew or heard his happy laughter would ever forget the affection they felt from the first.’

George Gribble has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Sold with a large quantity of original documentation, including the recipient’s Flying Log Books (2), covering the periods March 1938 to April 1941, and April 1941 to his death in action on 4 June 1941, and bearing official ‘Death Presumed’ and ‘Royal Air Force Central Depository, April 1946’ stamps; his Buckingham Palace condolence slip; official Air Ministry letters (3), dated August-September 1937, all regarding his application for a short service commission; a letter to his mother, dated at Hornchurch on 2 September 1939 (‘I expect you are getting a bit worried about this war, but at the moment (that is the last few hours) the tension has relaxed a bit here ... ’); telegram addressed to his mother, dated 1 August 1940, ‘Awarded D.F.C. - George’, and his Buckingham Palace investiture admittance ticket, dated 3 September 1940; around 15 wartime photographs, including a group image of his fellow student pilots circa 1938, the reverse bearing their signatures, and several excellent images of fellow 54 Squadron pilots; official Air Ministry letter regarding his loss in action, addressed to his mother, dated 9 June 1941 (‘I am to explain that this does not necessarily mean that he is killed or wounded ... ’); a 54 Squadron letter of a similar but more realistic nature (‘I am afraid that I can hold out very little hope of being able to send you better news’; see above extract); and, most poignantly, three letters from his sweetheart, a W.A.A.F., all addressed to his mother, these dated between June and August 1941 (see above extract).