Sgt NZ420194 William Max Krebs (NZ) 485 Squadron (RNZAF), was born the 24th June 1917 at Gisborne, New Zealand, the son of William Ernest Krebs and Ruby Pearl nee Ross.  On leaving school he became a clerk in the family’s motor body building company, Krebs & Co.

Enlisting into the RNZAF as an airman pilot under training on 27 July 1940, he gained his wings on 16 January 1941.

Promoted to Sergeant the following month, he embarked for the UK, on the 27th of February 1941 where he was posted to 53 Operational Training Unit (OTU), at Heston, to convert onto the Spitfire.

Here, on the 4th of June, 1941, at 15.10, William took off in Spitfire 1a P9375 on a training sortie, practicing aerobatics.

At 15,000 feet the Spitfire entered into an uncontrollable spin and he baled out at one thousand feet, opening his chute at a dangerously low three hundred feet. Fortunately he landed in what he described as a “prickly tree”.

Afterwards he wrote his parents a letter describing the incident. Having used an Irving parachute to make his escape he was awarded one of the company’s “Caterpillar Club” badges of which he was very pleased to own.

His Spitfire crashed nearby at Balcombe Road, Toovies Farm, Worth, Sussex and was destroyed.

On 4 June 1941 Max was posted to 609 Squadron at Biggin Hill and on 18 August 1941 to 485 Sqn (RNZAF) based at Redhill before the squadron deployed to Kenley on 21 October 1941.

On the 26th of March 1942 the squadron was briefed to escort Boston bombers to Le Havre, on Ramrod 17 and flew from Kenley at 15.10 to Tangmere before taking part.

Sgt Krebs was to fly Spitfire Vb W3577, OU-P, a presentation aircraft named “Mission Bay”.

When over the target the formation was engaged by Me109s and Sgt Krebs was seen to be shot down over the sea and baled out. However, his body was never found, he has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

He is also remembered in in Gisborne Taruheru Cemetery, New Zealand on the grave of his father William Ernest Krebs who died 28th March 1951.

Extracted from the squadron summary for the 26th of March - “The Squadron, led by F/L Compton, left Kenley 15.10 to act as escort for bombers to Le Havre. The bombing was successful and on the return journey the wing encountered several E/A. F/L Compton fired a four second burst in a diving attack on an ME109E at 13,000feet which fell away smoking and its crash into the sea 300 yards E. of Le Havre was witnessed by his section. After ineffectively trying to bring other ea into action, he saw Blue 2 damage a Me109, and fired at it”. 

Also missing from the fighter escort was F/O 402236 Brian Joseph Halse (RAAF) of 457 Squadron, flying Spitfire AB495 born 10th March 1943 at Wellington, New Zealand and a residing in Australia.