DAMBUSTERS Holding, Arthur David

John Robertson

Administrator
Staff member
  • SURNAME
Holding
  • FORENAME
Arthur David
  • UNIT
617 Squadron,R.A.F.V.R.
  • RANK
Flying Officer
  • NUMBER
133575
  • DATE OF DEATH
20th January 1944
  • AGE
22
  • GRAVESITE
Birmingham (Brandwood End) Cemetery,Warwickshire Sec.B.4 Cons.grave 166
  • ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
son of David and Gertie Holding,King's Heath,Birmingham
pilot (acting as navigator)
Lancaster ED918
training flight
crashed 2005 hours on beach Snettisham,Norfolk
 

DATE OF DEATH:

20-Jan-1944
Last edited by a moderator:
Arthur David Holding

Arthur was the son of my great aunt and uncle, his mother had a large part in my upbringing and from an early age I heard of his wartime efforts and was told he had died while testing a reconditioned Lancaster before it was returned to service. The instruments had failed and and thinking they were higher flew too low and crashed. After studying recently released MOD documents the family discovered that after flying successful missions over Germany Arthur was training to bomb a dam in Italy, a mission that if successful would shorten the war. The mission required a flight high above the alps followed by a steep descent with a full payload, while practicing over the wash the crew were unable to successfully pull out of the dive. Due to the official secrets act Gertie Holding died in 1983 never knowing the true heroism of her son.
 
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