F/O W U Holmes RCAF and crew – 576 Squadron - 1944/45
The Holmes crew were posted to 576 Squadron at RAF Fiskerton from Heavy Conversion Unit around early December 1944. The date is not recorded. The crew consisted of :-
F/O W U Holmes RCAF
Sgt D G Nimmo
F/O F W Christisen RCAF
F/O J K Scruton RCAF
Sgt W Brown
Sgt E C Grife RCAF
Sgt W W A Parsons RCAF
……….
Holmes flew his first operation as co-pilot on the 28 December 1944 with F/L L Arthur and crew to Bonn in Lancaster PA 173
Holmes then captained his own crew on the following operations :-
29/12/1944 - Scholven Buer - Oil - PD309 - F/O WU Holmes
31/12/1944 - Osterfeld - Railway yards - PD309 - F/O WU Holmes
02/01/1945 - Nuremberg - Point of Aim - PB753 - F/O WU Holmes
07/01/1945 - Munich - Point of Aim - PD309 - F/O WU Holmes
14/01/1945 - Leuna - Oil - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
16/01/1945 - Zietz - Oil - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
28/01/1945 - Stuttgart/ Zuffenhausen - Aero engine factory - ME671 - F/O WU Holmes
01/02/1945 - Ludswigshafen - Point of Aim - LM294 - F/O WU Holmes
02/02/1945 - Wiesbaden - Point of Aim - LM294 - F/O WU Holmes
07/02/1945 - Kleve - Army support - ME671 - F/O WU Holmes
13/02/1945 - Dresden - Operation Thunderclap - RA516 - F/O WU Holmes
14/02/1945 - Chemnitz - Operation Thunderclap - NG464 - F/O WU Holmes
01/03/1945 - Mannheim - Point of Aim - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
02/03/1945 - Cologne - Army support - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
05/03/1945 - Chemnitz - Operation Thunderclap - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
08/03/1945 - Kassel - Point of Aim - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
11/03/1945 - Essen - Point of Aim - ME801 - F/O WU Holmes
12/03/1945 - Dortmund - Point of Aim - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
15/03/1945 - Misburg - Oil - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
18/03/1945 - Hanau - Point of Aim - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes - Holed in mainplane believed caused by incendiary bomb.
21/03/1945 - Bremen – Oil - PD271 - F/O WU Holmes
22/03/1945 - Hildersheim - Railway yards - LM294 - F/O WU Holmes
27/03/1945 - Paderborn - Army Support - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
31/03/1945 - Hamburg - Shipyards - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
03/04/1945 - Nordhausen - V weapons factory - NG273 - F/O WU Holmes
14/04/1945 - Cuxhaven - Port/Diversion - RA594 - F/O WU Holmes
18/04/1945 - Heligoland - Naval base and airfield - PA318 - F/O WU Holmes
22/04/1945 - Bremen - Army Support - PA318 - F/O WU Holmes
25/04/1945 - Berchtesgaden - Hitler's chalet & SS barracks - PA318 - F/O WU Holmes
29/04/1945 - Valkenburg airfield - Operation Manna - RA514 - F/O WU Holmes
02/05/1945 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - RA514 - F/O WU Holmes
01/05/1045 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - LM594 - F/O WU Holmes
……….
At the conclusion of his tour Holmes was awarded a DFC which was gazetted 7 December 1945.
Compiled by David Fell.
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