new challenge…

Regarding Sgt. Warby (sic). Both CWGC and Chorley have him as Terence Eugene Warbey. I believe in your other thread you said you had Chorley for 1943? If so, you have the details, if not, let me know and I’ll post them here.

Interestingly, Chorley has him as Flight Engineer and not as air gunner. Perhaps the most interesting clue is the information you posted thus:

12 fts Gran Hnam, Lincs Feb 1942

That would indicate that he went initially for pilot training at 12 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) at Grantham. It is likely that he didn’t qualify as a pilot and therefore remustered for other aircrew duties eventually becoming a Flight Engineer.

Regards,

kev35

A quick google suggests that P/O Holmes was flying in Bristol Blenheim 1f L1467 coded BQ-W which crashed near Richmond on the 20th December 1940 A Sergeant Wilson was killed with P/O Holmes dying six days later.

George Henry Holmes had an original service number of 800513 which falls into the run of Auxiliary Air Force service numbers in use from 1925 onwards. He was promoted from Sergeant to Pilot Officer on the 19th August 1940.

This link: http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/dales/l1467.html pretty much gives you chapter and verse.

Further to this, George Holmes is recorded as flying with 25 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. One can only suspect that it was either during the Battle of France or the Battle of Britain that he gained his DFM.

Hope this is useful.

Regards,

kev35