The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Holme on Spalding Moor.



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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII

Information.

RAF Holme on Spalding Moor opened in 1941 as a Bomber Command Airfield.

The station closed in 1984, most of the buildings remain now in industrial use, although the runways have been removed. By the main entrance stands a memorial to the squadrons.



Squadrons stationed at RAF Holme on Spalding Moor

  • No: 76 Squadron
  • No: 101 Squadron
  • No: 458 RAAF Squadron
  • No:460 RAAF Squadron


The Wartime Memories Project would like to hear from anyone who was stationed at Holme on Spalding Moor during the war years, or anyone who lived nearby. We would love to hear your recollections of life on the base and the surrounding area.

Please contact us:

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My uncle, Sgt Philip Crittenden, RAAF 458 Squadron, was based at Holme and was killed along with most of his crew on Oct 21, 1941, over Belgium. He was 20, and reportedly was the first Australian killed under RAF bomber command. The family of the sole survivor, tail gunner PGEA Brown, since passed on, relates that their Wellington came under fire from a ME 110 and broke up shortly after midnight. Brown spent the rest of the war in several German POW camps. It has been a great experience making contact with the family of Airman Brown and I'd be glad to hear from any other relatives of the slain crewmen or anyone who served with them. Their names appear below. They are buried alongside each other in the Charleroi War Cemetery in Belgium. The flight log and mission details below are from several historical websites and RAF Bomber Command enthusiasts.

DATE : 20-Oct-1941 / 21-Oct-1941

UNIT : 28 OTU

AIRCRAFT : Wellington IV

RAF BASE : Holme-On-Spalding-Moor

TAKE-OFF AT : 18:39

SERIAL : Z1218

CODES : FU:D

TARGET : Mont-sur-Marchienne

PILOT : Hamilton, Peter John Maxwell, Sergeant, (912835) (killed)

CREW : Sergeant Philip George Crittenden RAAF (Aus/400410) (killed), Pilot Officer David Kimber Fawkes (observer) (102969) (killed), Sergeant Thomas Jackson (wireless operator) (995859) (killed), Sergeant Andrew Young Condie (air gunner) (968155) (killed), Sergeant P G E A Brown (air gunner) (Prisoner of War)

DETAILS : As part of the squadron's first operation. The dead of the crew are buried Charleroi Communal Cemetery, Belgium. Sgt Crittenden was the first Australian serving in Bomber Command to be killed flying with an RAAF squadron.

Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, more frequently referred to as plain Holme, even in official documents, was first occupied by flying units in August 1941 with the arrival of No. 458 (RAAF) Squadron, which was being built up to fly Wellingtons in No. 1 Group. The first offensive operations from Holme took place on the night of October 20/21 with ten Wellingtons attacking Antwerp. One aircraft was lost Sergeant Philip Crittenden being the first Australian serving in Bomber Command to be killed from a RAAF Squadron. Another Australian squadron. No. 460, established at Holme, began training at its satellite, Breighton, in November. Tentative plans to convert both units to the Halifax were never brought to fruition, No. 1 Group taking to the Lancaster instead, No. 458 Squadron's operational career in Bomber Command being terminated at the end of January 1942. After a few weeks spent reequipping, No. 458 was sent out to the Mediterranean theatre to meet an urgent requirement for anti-shipping operations. During its time at Holme, the squadron flew 65 sorties losing three aircraft.

The weather continued to interfere with Bomber Command's activities and it wasn't until the night of the 20th/21st, when 284 aircraft were in action, that any sizeable number of missions was flown. On that night, Bremen was raided by 153 aircraft, Wilhelmshaven by 47 aircraft, Emden by 36 and Antwerp by 35 (none of which attacked because of complete cloud cover).



Photographs



J-type Hanger




The Parachute store.


Remains of the crash tender shed, control tower would have been to the right.

Photos by Noel J Ryan. Old Airfields If you have any Photographs you would like to share please get in touch.



List of those who served here.

If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch.





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