Australia Service Medal : Squadron Leader J C Holmes, 460 Squadron RAAF

Australia Service Medal. 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.