Page 4 - Gordon John Grindell

Gordon John Grindell was born on August 20 1910, the second son of Elizabeth Esther and
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James Grindell from the township of Geraldine in the Canterbury region on the South Island of
New Zealand. Gordon had an older brother William, born in 1906.

Gordon was educated in Otago and Mackenzie Country where he attended the Kimbell and Fairlie
Schools. After leaving school, Gordon joined the Mount Cook Tourist Company as a driver, and
later as an English tourist completing a tour of America, England, and Europe. He developed a
love for flying and by the time he enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1932 he had many hours flying
time experience which the RAF would later in his career put to good use. Gordon as acting Pilot
Officer was posted to No. 5 Flying Training School at RAF Sealand, Flintshire for intensive flying
training and on 28 August 1933 he was posted to 23 (F) Squadron based at RAF Biggin Hill flying
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the Hawker Demon biplane.

Gordon married Winifred Dorothy Oakes, daughter of Captain M. P. R. Oakes, late 5th Royal Irish
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Lancers at the Chelsea Old Church, Chelsea, London on the 9 December 1934.The couple
would go on to have three children, Dianne, Roland and Christopher.

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On the 2 March 1935 Gordon was promoted to Flying Officer and just over twelve months later
on the 13th July 1936 was promoted to Flight Lieutenant. Posted to 41 Squadron in mid-1935,
Gordon went with the squadron to the Aden Protectorate as part of that countries defence during
the Abyssinian crisis of 1935/36. Leaving the squadron in the same year he was posted to the
Central Flying School at RAF Upavon, Wiltshire where he completed a Flying Instructor’s course
and for the next four and a half years trained novice pilots.

His first Instructor posting was to No. 9 Flying Training School (part of 23 Training Group) at RAF
Thornaby on 13 July 1936 he was granted permanent commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant
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on the 2 September 1938 in the General Duties Branch. Gordon was promoted Squadron Leader
on 1st September 1939 and posted to his old Flying Training School, now renamed No. 5 Service
Flying Training School (5 SFTS) at RAF Sealand in Flintshire as the units Commanding Officer.
His stay with No. 5 SFTS was short as he was again posted in 1940 on to the Air Staff at
Headquarters Flying Training Command at Shinfield Park, Reading.

He stay on the Commands air staff lasted until 1942 when he was posted to active duties having
been promoted to Wing Commander Officer Commanding 487 (NZ) Squadron based at RAF
Methwold,15 miles north west of the Norfolk town of Thetford.
In this memorable period the squadron led by Gordon flying the Lockheed Ventura made many
daylight raids. The Venturas were accompanied by ‘swarms of Spitfires’ as one pilot said. They
bombed the aerodrome at Maspertus, near Cherbourg, and the marshalling yards at Bruges and
Abbeville, and also flew to Ijmuiden, but the target was blanketed by clouds, so bombs were not
dropped. The Manpertus raid was most eventful. The flak was accurate, one shell bursting under
Gordon’s aircraft. It pushed up the tail, at which the Ventura almost ‘skidded on its nose’.
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On the 3 May 1943, the squadron sent out 11 aircraft on a ‘Ramrod’ raid against Amsterdam
resulted in the loss of all but one of the squadron's Venturas. After crossing the Dutch coast, the
Venturas were bounced by a group of 70 to 80 German fighters. They penetrated the Spitfire
escort and got in amongst 487 Squadron's bombers, damaging one and forcing it to return to
base. The squadron pressed on, with further losses; by the time the Venturas had begun their
bomb run, only five aircraft remained. The Germans then proceeded to pick them off. Squadron
Leader Leonard Trent, one of Gordon’s Flight Commanders downing one attacker with his
machine-guns as the German fighter flew across his nose. Finally only Trent's aircraft remained in
the air. Reaching the target, he pressed home his attack, dropping his payload, narrowly missing
the target, but causing some damage before he too was shot down. For his leadership during the
raid, Trent was later awarded the Victoria Cross. He survived being shot down and was taken
prisoner; he later took part in the ′Great Escape′ but survived the war and was liberated in 1945.