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Operation: Ramrod
Date: 24th September 1943 (Friday)
Unit: No. 91 Squadron (11 Group)
Type: Spitfire F.XII
Serial: MB805
Code: DL-?
Base: RAF Westhampnett, Sussex
Location: Between Crillon and Villers-Sur-Bonnières, France
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Gray Stenborg DFC. NZ/402494 RNZAF Age 21. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
This New Zealand air ace with a total of 14 and 1 shared enemy aircraft destroyed with a further 3 classed as damaged was a great loss. He had previously served with 111, 185 and 485 Squadrons and had an earlier lucky escape when he was shot down off Delimara Point in Malta. He was rescued by an Air Sear Rescue launch.
On this operation they were escorting bombers to Beauvais in France. His aircraft ws seen to be streaming Glycol after combat with a large number of enemy aircraft close to the target area. It has been established that he crashed at 16:00 hrs between Crillon and Villers-Sur-Bonnières, France.
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. Gray Stenborg DFC. Marissel French National Cemetery. Grav 205. Born on the 13th October 1921, the son of Gunnar Stenborg and of Ruby Amelia Stenborg (née Moore), of Howick, Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 735 flying hours logged and having completed some 188 operational sorties.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:
KTY 01.10.2018
History Airborne Forces • Soviet Night Witches • Bomber Command Memories • Abbreviations • Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained • USA Flygirls • Axis Awards Descriptions • 'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination • Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis • SOE Heroine Nancy Wake • Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
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 Captain 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', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, 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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