LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Ernest Douglas HOLMES
Service No: 403927
Born: Brisbane QLD, 14 July 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 112 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 112 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft FR872), off the Italian Coast, 12 February 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ernest John Holmes, and of Alice Lucy Holmes, of Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 16, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1015 hours on 12 February 1944 Kittyhawk FR872 took off from a Landing Ground in Italy for a test flight. The weather was fair at time of take-off. At 1100 hours the aircraft was plotted at 10,000 feet over Kotelya. After an hour’s flying FR872 contacted ground control from 60 miles away above cloud, and stated that he had no difficulty, but asked for a course to steer back home for practice. This was given and he was brought back over the landing ground. He was advised this and he acknowledged. At the time he was flying at some considerable height above the cloud. He did not speak again on the radio and contact could not be made with FR872. Extensive searches were made but no trace of the missing aircraft or pilot could be found. In 1947 it was recorded that Warrant Officer Holmes had lost his life at sea.
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/18/284