Terence Gunion Lovell-Gregg
Born 19 Sept 1912 - Died 15 Aug 1940
- Service number
- 29244 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Squadron Leader (Pilot) AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 87 Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Terence Gunion AWMM
- Surname
- Lovell-Gregg AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- 29244 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 19 Sept 1912 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- WW2 Mother: Mrs. D. L. Lovell-Gregg AWMM
- Relationship status
- Single/WWII AWMM
- Unknown AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1940 AWMM Battle of Britain AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- 29244 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- Inter War Jan 1931 AWMM
Age 18 AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Royal Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Killed on air operations AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Squadron Leader (Pilot) AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 87 Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Dr. John Lovell-Gregg, M.D., and Dora Leila Lovell-Gregg, of Picton, Marlborough, New Zealand.
Educated at Picton School 1923-29 & Nelson College. he intended to study Medicine at Otago, but was held back because of age. He gained his 'A' Pilot License. He tried for the RAF but was turned down initially, so travelled at his own expense to the UK in October 1930 and applied again and was provisionally accepted.
1933 : Policing operations in Iraq, Syria, BOFB & General Operations.
Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981). The Battle of Britain: 10 July- 31 October 1940
Attended Nelson College (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845612)) AWMM - Squadron Leader Terence Gunion Lovell Gregg
Terence Gunion Lovell-Gregg, the son of a doctor, was born in Wanganui, New Zealand on 19th September 1912 and was educated at Nelson College. He was a brilliant scholar and intended to enter Otago University to study medicine but was held back because of his youth. He took flying lessons
and became the youngest qualified pilot in Australasia. He applied for a short service commission in the RAF in July 1930 but was considered 'too weak' and advised to take up rugby to improve his physique.
Lovell-Gregg travelled to England at his own expense in October 1930 and successfully applied to enter the RAF. He went to the RAF Depot, Uxbridge on 13th March 1931 and two weeks later was posted to 5 FTS, Sealand. With training completed he joined 41 Squadron at Northolt on 8th March 1932.
Lovell-Gregg went to CFS, Wittering for an instructor's course on 25th September 1932 but on 28th February 1933 he was posted to 30 Squadron, operating in Wapitis from Mosul, Iraq. He returned to
the UK in February 1935 and after a Floatplane Conversion Course at Calshot he returned to CFS, then at Upavon, for another instructors course. In February 1936 Lovell-Gregg was posted to 3 FTS, Grantham, on the instructing staff.
On 16th September 16 1938 he went on Flying Examining Officer duties at HQ 26 Group at Hendon. Shortly after the outbreak of war Lovell-Gregg went to 15 FTS, Lossiemouth, as an instructor. On 21st December 1939 he went on Operations Room duties to RAF Finningley, moving in early January 1940 to the Operations Room at HQ 5 Group.
Lovell-Gregg was then posted to 6 OTU, Sutton Bridge on 26th May 1940 and after converting to Hurricanes he joined 87 Squadron at Church Fenton on 15th June as a supernumerary. He took command on 12th July when the CO was posted away. Aware of his lack of operational experience Lovell-Gregg allowed the experienced Flight Commanders to lead the squadron until he felt able to do so.
On 15th August 1940 the squadron was scrambled at 1730 hrs to intercept forty Ju87’s, escorted by twenty Me110’s and sixty Me109’s. Lovell-Gregg led the squadron out of the sun in line-astern, straight at the 110’s. His Hurricane was hit and caught fire. He came down from 15000 feet, apparently under control and heading for Warmwell. Eye-witnesses said that the pilot appeared to change his mind and he circled the Abbotsbury area, skimmed low across a wood and a ploughed field and crashed in a copse, striking a large oak tree. Lovell-Gregg was thrown clear but was already dead when reached.
He is buried in Holy Trinity churchyard, Warmwell.Public - Michael - Other relative - 20 July 2016 - Downloaded on 20 July 2016 from: http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Lovell-Gregg.htm
- Son of Dr. John Lovell-Gregg, M.D., and Dora Leila Lovell-Gregg, of Picton, Marlborough, New Zealand.
About death
- Death
- 15 Aug 1940 AWMM
Age 27 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Holy Trinity Church, Warmwell, Dorset, England AWMM South Part AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Marlborough War Memorial, Second World War Panel AWMM
- Photo and poemPublic - Philip Lovell - Direct descendant - 13 August 2022 - Personal
Sources
- External links
- Battle of Britain, a website.
http://web.archive.org/web/20060403113135/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/bobhome.html
Further Reference - Battle of Britain Historical Society, a website.
http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/
Further Reference - 'Roll of honour', (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 10-Apr-2015
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/battle-of-britain/roll-of-honour
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2709630
Further Reference - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ib - Ly. Archives New Zealand (R17845612)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845612
Sources Used - List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. Archives New Zealand (R17845744)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845744
Sources Used - See a list of New Zealanders awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp here (PDF). Compiled with the assistance of Errol Martyn and linked from the NZHistory page produced by Manatū Taonga, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/nz-battle-of-britain-list.pdf
Further Reference - Battle of Britain: Allied Pilots, Aircrew Remembered
https://aircrewremembered.com/BattleOfBritainDatabase/battlebritain-alpha-list.html
Further Reference - The Battle of Britain London Monument, a website.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Lovell-Gregg.htmPublic - Michael - Other relative - 20 July 2016 - Sources Used
- Battle of Britain, a website.
- References
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
- Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author.
Wynn, K. (1981). p. 255-257 - Wynn, K. (1989). Men of the Battle of Britain. Norwich, England: Gliddon Books.
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). New Zealanders serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. [A list compiled by Ministry for Culture and Heritage with Errol Martyn].
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] - Historical Items - Battle of Britain Roll of Honour, July - October 1940. Archives New Zealand, Wellington, ADQA 17263 AIR118/109/77e (R17845784)
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ib - Ly. Archives New Zealand (R17845612) - Former archives reference: AIR118
- Please note that the 11 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions.
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [(New Zealanders Attached to R.A.F. [Royal Air Force]) (Officers), (Europe) - Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845744)
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Deceased New Zealanders (Formerly) serving with RAF [Royal Air Force]. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845760).
- Information in this record was kindly provided from No. 30 Squadron and Servicing Unit research by the late Wally Ingham and Dave Homewood (2025)
- Ingham, W. (1990). The Avengers: 30 Squadron & Servicing Unit, RNZAF: a record of service. Auckland, N.Z.: Author.
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