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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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184
184 Squadron Typhoon Ib MN131 Fl/Lt. Douglas Haig Gross

Operation: Patrol

Date: 18th August 1944 (Friday)

Unit: No. 184 Squadron (motto: Nihil impenetrabile - 'Nothing impenetrable'). 129 Wing

Type: Typhoon Ib

Serial: MN131

Code: BR-?

Base: B.5 ALG Le Fresne Camilly, Calvados, France

Location: Trun, France

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Douglas Haig Gross J/10113 RCAF Age 28. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off along with 11 others of 184 Squadron at 16:00 hrs. to attack enemy transport in an area two miles SW of Trun on the Trun-Argentan highway in the district of Orne.

91 rocket projectiles and cannons were fired. A success for the squadron who took out 6 enemy tanks and 12 other forms of enemy transport vehicles, with many more claimed as damaged.

Fl/Lt. Gross led the Yellow Section of this formation attacking transport parked on the north side of the highway. He was seen to make several attacks within the next few minutes. He was not seen to be hit or did he call up he was in trouble.

Ten aircraft returned safely to base at 17:10 hrs. F/O. Ronald James Currie J/21861 RCAF also fell to the intense flak.

Burial details:

Initially buried in Bailleui Churchyard as 'unknown Airman'. A Canadian unit identified his body and he was buried at the Canadian Cemetery on the 11th November 1944.

Fl/Lt. Douglas Haig Gross. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery. Grave XIV. C. 16. Born on the 15th July 1917 in Vancouver. Worked as a salesman at Planters Nut and Chocolate Co. Ltd. in Vancouver. Enlisted on the 01st March 1941. Trained at 2 Initial Training School in Regina, Saskatchewan. No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School at Fort William, Ontario. No. 13 Service Flying Training School. St. Hubert, Quebec.

Son of Frank David (died 06th November 1951, age 95) and Nellie Pauline Gross (née Pride - died 14th January 1970, age 92). Brother of Aubrey and Rowena of 4787 Drummond Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks toResearched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the National Archives Kew, AIR-27-1138-23/24. Paradie RCAF Archives, Government of Canada.

Other pages that nay interest you:

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Other sources as quoted below:

KTY 22-07-2023

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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