Air Commodore John William Boldero Grigson (26 January 1893 – 3 July 1943) was a highly decorated British pilot who served in the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force in World War I, continuing his service and serving in World War II until his death in an air crash in 1943. Early life John Grigson was born in 1893 in the Vicarage at Pelynt, Cornwall, to Rev. Canon William Shuckforth Grigson M.A. and Mary Beatrice Boldero, and was one of seven brothers, including Geoffrey Grigson, Kenneth Grigson and Wilfrid Grigson. John was educated at St.John's School, Leatherhead (along with his brothers) before joining the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as an Ordinary Seaman in February 1913. World War I Grigson was serving aboard the armed merchant cruiser HMS India in the 10th Cruiser Squadron when the ship was sunk on 8 August 1915 and although he survived the loss news had not reached England before an announcement of his death appeared in The Times. She had stopped off at Helligvær, near Bodø, Norway to investigate a suspected blockade runner and was torpedoed by a U-boat SM U-22. India'''s sinking caused the deaths of 160 of her crew, the surviving 22 officers and 119 men were taken to Narvik. In 1916 he transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service as a commissioned officer, and he was posted to , Britain's first aircraft carrier, in August 1917. Promoted flight sub lieutenant (Pilot) on 20 August 1916, he flew from Ark Royal and also from Royal Naval Air Service coastal stations including Great Yarmouth. Back aboard Ark Royal, he was promoted flight lieutenant on 31 December 1917. Following the formation of the Royal Air Force in April 1918, he was promoted temporary captain (Air) on 5 June 1918, and on 8 July 1918 appointed flight commander of No. 553 Flight, No. 221 Squadron RAF. The squadron had formed in Greece on 1 April 1918 from "D" Squadron of No. 2 Wing RNAS and was engaged in anti-submarine warfare on the Aegean Sea. Grigson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 21 September 1918 (along with his observer Captain Oswald Gayford, whom he flew with for nearly a year), Their citation stated: "These two officers have flown together for a period of twelve months, during which time they participated in a number of bombing raids, carried out a large number of valuable reconnaissance