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Great-grandad who said he flew Spitfire missions on D-Day ‘invented stories’ — and RAF have no record of deeds
A GREAT-grandad who said he flew perilous Spitfire missions on D-Day has been accused of inventing the colourful stories.
Martin Grugeon, 93, has made a series of astonishing boasts about his exploits — but the RAF said none tallies with official records.
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They include claims he flew five missions on D-Day itself — despite being injured in an earlier sortie.
He also claims he shot down five enemy aircraft and toasted each German he killed with a Scotch.
And he reckoned that during one dogfight with a German pilot they used hand gestures to call it quits out of respect for each other.
Grugeon even claimed that on Bastille Day 1944, he performed a victory roll 100ft above the Champs-Elysees in Paris before dropping a French flag on the people below.
But the RAF said an exhaustive search of squadron, air incident and medal records, as well as casualty rolls, “do not accord with Mr Grugeon’s recollections”.
A notice has been sent to organisers of all the official events marking D-Day notifying them that his stories are not to be believed.
Grugeon, who goes by the nickname Bunny, has claimed he was a Sergeant with 278 Squadron, RAF Fighter Command. He said he signed up aged 17 and flew up to 50 sorties as a Spitfire pilot.
TV 'TALL TALES'
Ahead of D-Day’s 75th anniversary this week, he has appeared in national papers and a TV news channel even arranged for him to have a flight in a Spitfire.
But the attention saw questions directed at the RAF Benevolent Fund. It said he had never been a beneficiary of the charity and that his tales “cast a shadow over the true heroes of that day”.
It is understood that Grugeon may have started pilot training during World War Two but if so he never completed it and there is no record of him involved in active service.
Concerns about his claims were first raised during celebrations to mark the RAF’s centenary last year. But insiders said he might have been telling tall tales for years.
His story about flying over the Champs-Elysees may have been inspired by that of Wing Cmdr Ken Gatward — who actually did perform the feat in 1942.
Grugeon, of Reading, has now been warned to stop making the claims. He was approached for comment on Tuesday but declined to respond.
Albert Evans, 93, enjoys a thrill of a lifetime on board a Royal Navy rib at 40 knots in Poole Harbour
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The shock revelation comes as the nation prepares to honour the D-Day anniversary.
On Tuesday events included a display in Poole, Dorset, by Royal Marines for 25 veterans aboard cruise ship MV Boudicca.
And today PM Theresa May will host 15 world leaders for more commemorations in Portsmouth.
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