The Airmen's Stories - P/O F H Holmes

Frederick Henry Holmes, of Keyworth, Notts. was born on 24th November 1913, the son of Henry Holmes and Florence Bradfield Holmes (nee Forman).

He was a bank manager in civilian life and married Daphne Freda Bell in Nottingham in late 1936.

He joined the RAFVR about July 1938 as an Airman u/t Pilot.

Called up on 1st September 1939, Holmes completed his training and was initially posted to 27 MU Shawbury.

From there he went to 23 MU Aldergrove on 6th January 1940 where he remained until joining 152 Squadron at Acklington on 22nd June 1940.

On 25th July Holmes shared in the destruction of a Do17, on 18th August he claimed a Ju87 destroyed and on the 21st he shared a Ju88. He was posted away to CFS on 15th December 1940, presumably for an instructors course.

His subsequent service is currently undocumented until 4th December 1944 when Holmes was killed, serving as a Flight Lieutenant with 487 (RNZAF) Squadron, aged 31.

His Mosquito FB VI HR197, operating from Thorney Island, crashed near Hesselte in Germany, cause unknown. F/O Peter Wilkie Christopherson was also killed.

Holmes is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany.