Places | |
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Accession Number | REL/14938.005 |
Collection type | Heraldry |
Object type | Medal |
Physical description | Cupro nickel |
Maker |
Unknown |
Place made | United Kingdom |
Date made | c 1946 |
Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
British War Medal 1939-45 : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF
British War Medal 1939-45. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.
405792 Squadron Leader John Cecil Holmes, served in 460 Squadron, RAAF. Born in Brisbane in 1921, he worked as a woolclasser in Toowoomba before his enlistment in the RAAF on 20 June 1941. He qualified as a pilot and flew Lancasters for 460 Squadron. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on 25 January 1945. Holmes was awarded a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross, on 1 March 1946. Holmes was involved in many of the huge night bombing raids on industrial and civilian targets in Germany, including Dresden and Chemnitz. On 5-6 March 1945 twenty one Lancasters from 460 Squadron were involved in a 1,100 bomber raid on the Chemnitz Armaments Works, which proved to be Holmes' last. Flying Lancaster PB463 Holmes and his crew died when their damaged aircraft made a forced landing near the village of Prieffe and its bomb load exploded. Their resting place was marked by the Germans with a large wooden cross bearing the words 'Here lie eight English flyers killed in a crash on 5 March 1945.
Related information
Conflicts
Units
Subjects
Related Objects
- Holmes, John Cecil (Squadron Leader, 460 Sqn, RAAF d.1944)
- Distinguished Flying Cross : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF
- 1939-45 Star : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF
- France and Germany Star : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF
- Defence Medal : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF
- Australia Service Medal : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF
- Studio portrait of 405792 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) John Cecil Holmes, pilot of No. 460 ...
- The original grave of eight airmen of No. 460 Squadron RAAF killed on a raid on Chemnitz, Germany ...
- Probably Binbrook, England. c. 1944. Informal group portrait of four officers of a crew of 460 ...
- Identity disc : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF