Father: James Sanderson Stubbs; mother (and next-of-kin) Dorothea Noel [Capstick] Ed. St Edwards, Oxford ["it was in the Second World War and the R.A.F. in particular, that the names of Guy Gibson, Douglas Bader, Adrian Warburton, Arthur Banks, Alec Cranswick and others raised the School’s profile to national fame"] m., 1939 Marjorie Duxbury [Shuttleworth], but she applied for a divorce in 1942. prev. 2nd-Lt. in Royal Engineers, 1938-41 [served in Egypt, invalided out with a duodenal ulcer]. Applied to RAF but was refused. prev. exp. 150hrs on Tiger Moth, Avian, Leopard Moth, Puss Moth, Comper Swift, BA Swallow Address in 1942: 'Kelvin', New Chester Rd, Hootton, Cheshire He originally applied to the ATA in March 1941, but the interview process, bad weather, and a subsequent shortage of training places, delayed his start until the end of the following March. His references were very good: "I had a high opinion of Mr Stubbs"... "With regard to your enquiry re Mr J H Stubbs, he comes of a very good family who were resident in this disctrict until his father fell on bad times... I believe he will give every satisfaction." Postings: 8FPP, 6FPP, 3FPP "An average pilot but inclined to be overconfident." "He worked well and proved he has a capacity for hard work above the average" 2 accidents, one his fault: - 1 Aug 1942, after landing his Miles Hawk HL538, it swung violently due to excessive friction in the port wheel bearing
d. 21 Dec 1942; his Spitfire Vb JG924 struck telegraph wires, crashed near the Post Office, Mollington, 3.5 miles N of Chester, and was totally destroyed. "Pilot was off course and apparently 'shooting up' friends on ground, in contravention of Standing Orders, and is held responsible."
buried Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool, and also commemorated on the family grave along with his mother Dorothea Noel (d. 1965), and his sister, Kathleen Isobel, who was also killed in a flying accident: she died, with her husband Donald, in the crash of a British European Airways Vickers Viscount G-ALWE on 14th March 1957. The £2,000 insurance money was paid to his mother in April 1943. Download ATA Pilot Personal Record (.zip file): |
ATA
RAeC 1936
