Holmes, John Gordon
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | John Gordon |
Surname | Holmes |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 07-07-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of Walter Holmes and Annie Sheppard Holmes (née Sanders), of Melrose, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington III |
Serial Number | Z1597 |
Markings | GT- |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Upavon Church Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Row C. Grave 4. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 183 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/68171 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 419 (Moose) |
Trade | WOp/AG |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside Former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Memorial Tablet on Stone Memorial |
Memorial Text | A memorial to Nos 419, 420 and 428 Sqns RCAF who flew from RAF Middleton St George during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
John was born on 16 May 1917 at Melrose, Ontario. His father (who was deceased by the time of John's enlistment) was born in England and worked as a Bridge Contractor and his mother was born in Melrose. He attended Hutton School 1924-1932. He then took a refrigeration and air conditioning course at Utilities Engineering Institute 1933-1936. That was followed by working at General Steel as a Moulder 1936-1937 and finishing as a clerk at Victoria Hospital 1937-1939. The sports he enjoyed were swimming and dancing. |
After enlisting on 16 July 1940 at London, Ontario, and completing his training, John was posted to the U.K. and embarked for the U.K. He arrived at 3PRC on 1 July 1941 and then continued to 1 S.S. 7 July 1941, 23 OTU 21 October 1941 and .419 Squadron on 4 January 1942 . Sadly, John was to lose his life on 7 July 1942 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/14 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1822/13 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 06-07-1942 |
End Date | 07-07-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Alconbury |
Day/Night Raid | Night (34% moon) |
Operation | Mining off Lorient |
Reason for Loss | Flew into a hill on return to base, near Devizes, Wilts |