LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Edward James HOLMES
Service No: 420946
Born: Casino NSW, 15 October 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 104 Squadron (RAF), Foggia Main, Italy
Died: Air Operations: (No. 104 Squadron Wellington aircraft MF137), Yugoslavia, 2 July 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Belgrade War Cemetery, Serbia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Herbert and Alma Clarice Holmes, of Bentley, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington MF137 took off at 2101 hours on the night of 1 July 1944, detailed to carry out mine laying on the Danube river between Pancevo and Groksi, Yugoslavia, as part of the Campaign to disrupt German oil supplies from Romania. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed and exploded in the vicinity of Pancevo, Yugoslavia, near the north bank of the Danube. The aircraft was buried in a hole filled with water in a maize field. The only wreckage was part of the engine and pieces of aircraft fabric. All the crew were killed and they are buried Belgrade War Cemetery.
The crew members of MF137 were:
Pilot Officer Edward James Holmes (420946) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Kenneth George Kingerlee (178828) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Ernest William Morgan (55796) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Geoffrey Goodhand Parker (427933) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Kenneth Norman Wiggins (178693) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/18/397