Plt Off G H F G Gregory DFM
Front gunner
Lancaster serial number: ED925/G
Call sign: AJ-M
First wave. Second aircraft to attack Möhne Dam. Aircraft hit by flak. Mine dropped late and bounced over dam. Aircraft crashed on far side of dam.
George Henry Ford Goodwin Gregory was born in Govan, Glasgow on 24 June 1917, one of the seven children of Edwin and Agnes Gregory. He worked as a printer before joining the RAF at the outset of the war. He had completed a full tour of operations as a gunner in 44 Squadron by the autumn of 1942, and received the DFM. He then moved on to a training unit and was commissioned. He went back onto operations in March 1943, and was posted to 617 Squadron where he joined John Hopgood’s crew.
Gregory was married, but his wife Margaret had remained in Scotland. In the run up to the Dams Raid he was living at RAF Scampton, and sharing quarters with squadron adjutant Harry Humphries.In his memoirs, Humphries recalled the night before the raid:
Old Greg was a tough proposition, tall, handsome and like most Scots, very independent. If he liked you, all well and good, If he disliked you, well at least you knew… [His] wife had been in Lincoln a few days previously and I really think he needed her in his strung up state. He did not know what he wanted to do. First he wanted to go out in his car and find a drink, then he wanted to play snooker, and then he would talk about bed… I said ‘Come on old lad, let’s go for a walk around the mess. It’s getting damned hot in here.’ … Just as we were leaving the anteroom John Hopgood, Gregory’s pilot, spotted us and aimed an almost playful kick at his rear gunner’s backside, which I am sure would have crippled him if it had landed. When I eventually separated them, with Greg, needless to say, on top by sheer brute force, Hopgood or ‘Hoppy’ as we knew him, dragged himself painfully to his feet. ‘Just as I said,’ he complained loudly, ‘air gunners are all bloody brawn and no brains.’
They then walked back to their quarters, and had a cup of tea with their batman in his kitchen.
Greg was the first to move. ‘I think I will go to bed,’ he said, ‘may be working tomorrow.’ With that he had gone and little did I know that for Greg it was probably his last cup of tea in that kitchen. In fact it was his last night on earth. (Harry Humphries, Living with Heroes, 2003, pp. 1-3)
From Tony Burcher’s account, we now know that it is likely that Gregory was severely wounded some twenty minutes before Hopgood’s aircraft reached the Möhne Dam, as he wasn’t answering his intercom. In the same flak attack Hopgood, Minchin and Brennan himself were also wounded. However they pressed on, the mine was dropped, and moments afterwards Hopgood told the crew to bale out. According to John Fraser’s post-war debriefing after his release from PoW camp, it would seem that Gregory attempted to get back to the rest area to retrieve his parachute but never escaped.
Hopgood, Brennan, Earnshaw, Minchin and Gregory are buried together in Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
More about Gregory online:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission listing
KIA 17 May 1943
Rank and decorations as of 16 May 1943.
Sources: Richard Morris, Guy Gibson, Penguin 1995
John Sweetman, The Dambusters Raid, Cassell 2002
The information above has been taken from the books and online sources listed and other online material. Apologies for any errors or omissions. Please add any corrections or links to further information in the comments section below.
Further information about George Gregory and the other 132 men who flew on the Dams Raid can be found in my book The Complete Dambusters, published by History Press in 2018.
Dambusters Blog 
George Gregory’s wife was Margaret Edwards of Goven, Lancashire, Scotland. She later married George’s best friend, Walter Bulloch.
In our church in Hyde Park, NY, we knew George Gregory in the 1960’s, early 70’s, who said his brother had been killed in the Dam Busters raid… no reason to doubt him, a great man, great friends of our family. I now wonder if he might have taken his brother’s name?
I am Walter Bulloch’s daughter. George Gregory was my mother Margaret’s first husband. I am trying to get in touch with any members of George Gregory’s family I have his medal and would like to return it to them.
Hi Elizabeth! Not sure how but I’ve only just came across your message here. George Gregory was my Grandad’s Brother (Alex / Alexander) and my Dad is also named George HF Gregory. Me and my Dad are actually going to visit the Mohne, the crash site and Cemetery at the end of April. My Dad had been told previously by his Mother that Margaret had spent time in a Care Home in Ayrshire?
I am the Branch Secretary of the Sauerland Royal British Legion here in Germany, we are at present developing the new area in Ostönnen which you will have seen, in conjunction with the Möhnesee School in Körbecke. If you would like to contact me we would like to have a chat through E Mail, my E Mail address is: hobbit4658@web.de
Hi John! Thanks for the message. Yes my Dad and I visited the crash site of AJ-M last week and were delighted to see the work that has been carried out, the stonework looks great and a fantastic upgrade to what it was previously.
I’ll send you an email with a couple photos. Thanks again for reaching out.
Regards
Ross
I am Margaret Gregorio’s daughter. She never spoke much of George but I’d like to know more about him. I’ve managed to get in contact with one family member and will return his medal to his family once I have an address
Dear Liz: With your permission I will pass on your email address to Ross Gregory. If you let me do do I’m sure he will write to you privately. Best wishes — Charles
Hi Liz,
Thanks for the message. I have given Charles my email address for you to contact me directly. My Grandad was George’s Brother. My Dad is named after George.
Interested to know which family member you managed to make contact with as this is the first time I’m aware of this.
Thanks again for getting intouch. Hopefully I can help, along with my Dad provide the information/details that you are looking for in regards to George.
Not sure if I have posted, I am the Branch Secretary of the Sauerland RBL if you would like to contact me with regards the Crash site in Ostönnen.