Back HOLMES Joseph William Ernest
Service Number 114291 (938843)
P/O 25th Oct. 1941. (Gazette Issue 35435 published on the 27 January 1942. Page 7 of 44)
F/O 1st Oct. 1942: (Gazette Issue 35819 published on the 8 December 1942. Page 5 of 10)
F/Lt Not found
S/Ldr 20th Apr. 1945. (Gazette Issue 37114 published on the 25 February 1947. Page 3 of 28)
AFC 8th June 1944. (Gazette Issue 36544 published on the 2 June 1944. Page 84 of 88)
DFC 15 June 1943. (Gazette Issue 36054 published on the 11 June 1943. Page 1 of 8)
Date A/C Crew Duty Up Down Details of Sortie or Flight
27-Apr-41 P.6981 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 14:25 15:30 Convoy Patrol
27-Apr-41 P.6999 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 16:15 17:50 Convoy Patrol
29-Apr-41 P.7009 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 10:50 12:25 Convoy Patrol
02-May-41 P.6999 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 18:50 20:10 Convoy Patrol
04-May-41 P.7009 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 10:20 12:05 Convoy Patrol
04-May-41 P.6979 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 17:45 19:15 Convoy Patrol
04-May-41 P.6979 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 20:00 21:40 Convoy Patrol
06-May-41 P.6993 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 13:50 15:10 Convoy Patrol
06-May-41 P.6993 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 15:45 17:20 Convoy Patrol
08-May-41 P.6994 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 12:35 14:15 Convoy Patrol
11-May-41 P.7001 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Interception Patrol 20:30 22:00 The flight was on patrol in the vicinity of the Bristol Channel as a precautionary measure in connection with a fairly large enemy raid which crossed the coast near Portland.
14-May-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 12:25 13:35 Convoy Patrol
11-Jun-41 P.7041 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 12:20 14:00 Convoy Patrol
12-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 12:00 13:50 Convoy Patrol
15-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 09:30 10:15 Convoy Patrol
15-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 11:00 12:30 Convoy Patrol
19-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 07:40 07:55 Convoy patrols recalled on account of bad weather.
20-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Interception Patrol 22:00 22:50 The section was on patrol
23-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 07:55 09:25 Convoy Patrol
24-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 10:55 12:10 Convoy patrol
28-Jun-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 11:15 12:25 Convoy patrol
12-Jul-41 P.7046 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Interception Patrol 18:25   Raid 96, an unidentified enemy aircraft, was plotted South of Cardiff, Blue section was put on patrol over a Convoy in the Barry Roads, while Green Section was ordered to intercept. Visibility was bad with thick layers of cloud up to 25,000 ft. The E/A dropped bombed near Cheltenham, but although green section was said to have been within 8 miles dead behind it, they saw nothing.
14-Jul-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 08:55 10:45 Convoy Patrol from Exeter.
17-Jul-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 08:50 09:20 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
29-Jul-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 12:10 13:25 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
30-Jul-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 08:30 10:00 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
30-Jul-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 19:10 20:40 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
30-Jul-41 P.7007 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 14:00 15:30 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
05-Aug-41 P. Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Warhead No. 3 16:50 17:45 Warhead No. 3 Operation to strafe Maupertus and shipping recco
19-Aug-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 09:30 10:50 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
20-Aug-41 P.7011 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 05:20 05:45 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
25-Aug-41 P.6991 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 16:40 18:15 Convoy Patrol in the Bristol Channel.
26-Aug-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Interception Patrol 15:50 16:50 The section was on patrol in the Bristol Channel area, but saw nothing.
29-Aug-41 P.6991 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Offensive Operation Mandolin No.3 17:00 18:33 Low level attack on Lannion aerodrome.
03-Sep-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 16:00 16:55 Convoy patrol in the Bristol Channel.
04-Sep-41 P.7005 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes Gudgeon No.6 14:12 15:40 Close escort to 6 Blenheims detailed to bomb an oil ship in Cherbourg Harbour.
08-Sep-41 P.6999 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes   16:37 16:55 Escort of 12 Blenheims attacking Convoy off Jersey
08-Nov-41 P.7056 Sgt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Rodeo 5 13:45 14:55 Sweep of Channel Islands area
15-Nov-41 P.7056 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Rhubarb 61 12:40 14:10 Attack on Distillery targets. Green Section (P/O Holmes and Sgt. Prior) Target 216. Corseulles.
17-Nov-41 P.7056 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Rhubarb 64 09:46 10:25 Attack on Distillery targets - abortive
15-Dec-41 P.7110 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 12:00 13:20 Ordered to patrol base at 10,000 feet, then vectored after bogey at 21,000 ft as far as South Coast. Nothing seen.
11-Jan-42 P.7056 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 11:05 11:50 Pilots were vectored to the Isle of Wight chasing a bogey. The bogey was then identified as a Grumman Martlet by pilots of squadron.
12-Feb-42 P.7100 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 10:40 12:00 No Incident.
13-Feb-42 P.7100 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Dusk Patrol 17:30 18:05 Nothing seen - These flights are regularly made from Fairwood Common to intercept bandits which tend to appear off Linney Head at dusk.
15-Feb-42 P.7116 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 12:50 13:35 No Incident.
15-Feb-42 P.7100 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Enemy patrol 15:35 17:15 Nothing seen.
19-Feb-42 P.7110 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 14:55 15:25 P/O Holmes was flying at 100 feet near convoy 25 miles south of St Gowan's Head. Without any warning from instruments, his starboard engine exploded, caught fire and disintegrated
14-Mar-42 P.6991 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 11:45 12:25 Nothing Seen.
15-Mar-42 P.7110 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 13:20 14:00 Nothing Seen.
15-Mar-42 P.7110 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 17:50 19:00 Nothing Seen.
16-Mar-42 P.7110 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 09:15 09:50 Nothing Seen.
22-Mar-42 P.7116 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Sweep of Irish Sea 12:05 13:50 Nothing Seen.
23-Mar-42 P.7060 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 16:35 18:00 Nothing Seen.
24-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 15:15 16:50 Nothing Seen.
25-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 18:30 18:35 Nothing Seen.
26-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 10:35 11:20 Blue section was ordred to escort convoys Steward & Sapper II
26-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy Patrol 14:15 15:45 Nothing Seen.
27-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 13:50 15:00 Nothing Seen.
27-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 17:40 19:10 The Linney-Head, Smalls, Carnsors, Saltee area was thoroughly swept.
28-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 08:55 10:35 Nothing Seen.
29-Mar-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Search for lost pilot 17:15 18:25 A pilot of 402 Spitfire Squadron on convoy patrol pancaked in the sea 12 miles south of Tenby.
14-Apr-42 P.7060 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 12:50 14:00  
16-Apr-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 14:40 16:00  
17-Apr-42 P.7089 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 16:25 17:50  
21-Apr-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 11:10 12:00 Bogey was identified as Liberator.
30-Apr-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Ramrod 18 18:12 19:30 Attack on Morlaix aerodrome, A Flight to attack Lannion.
26-May-42 P.7007 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 19:40 20:30  
05-Jun-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Ramrod 19 15:10 16:30 Attack on Morlaix aerodrome
10-Jun-42 P.7114 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 08:50 09:35  
19-Jun-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 08:15 08:50 Nothing seen.
19-Jun-42 P.7056 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 11:00 12:15 Scramble Smalls 8000. Plots faded and Section was ordered to convoy Peroration.
28-Jun-42 P.7060 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 18:50 19:50 Black Blue and Green Sections were vectored hard after plots 20-60 miles S.W. of Base. They were also vectored on to each other and intercepted successfully but fortunately did not engage
01-Jul-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 08:55 09:55 Scramble diverted to convoy staysail.
07-Jul-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 21:00 22:05 Patrol Smalls area
18-Jul-42 P.7060 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 19:15 20:05 Smalls Patrol.
18-Jul-42 P.7060 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 20:50 21:50 This was a similar operation to that of the fourteenth. Again no enemy aircraft were seen.
18-Jul-42 P.7060 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 22:26 22:55 This was a similar operation to that of the fourteenth. Again no enemy aircraft were seen.
23-Jul-42 P.7056 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Combined Rhubarb Operation 15:28 16:43 Rhubarb
26-Jul-42 P.7007 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Scramble 20:10 20:25  
27-Jul-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes A/S/R. search 20:00 21:00  
04-Aug-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 21:45 22:40 Patrol of Smalls area and South. No incident
05-Aug-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 08:50 09:50 Salter Patrol
05-Aug-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 11:45 13:00  
09-Aug-42 P.7000 P/O J.W.E. Holmes Convoy 06:30 07:55  
28-Feb-43 P.7110 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Circus 17 14:40 15:40 Attack on Maupertus. This was their first dive-bombing attack. It was observed to have been successful.
12-Mar-43 P.7099 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Patrol 19:20 20:10 Dusk Patrol
14-Mar-43 P.6971 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Circus 18 15:55 17:00 Attack on Maupertus. They dive-bombed from 15000 - 9000 ft. and saw 2 bursts in S.E. corner and other bursts in the centre. Flak was slight and inaccurate.
19-Mar-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Roadstead 52 18:10 19:10 The large convoy which had been reported South of Guernsey could not be located in thick black haze in the Channel Island area.
21-Mar-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Night Rhubarb No. 23 (Morlaix Viaduct) 00:10 00:50 Gyro, Artificial Horizon etc; U/S. Returned to base.
22-Mar-43 P.7108 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Night Rhubarb No. 24 00:10 01:25 Bombed from 1000 ft. and scored a direct hit.
23-Mar-43 P.7108 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Night Rhubarb No. 25 (Ponthou Viaduct) 01:00 02:10 Target not found. Bombed unknown railway track
06-Apr-43 P.7059 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Circus 20 18:27 20:12 These Whirlibombers were intended to form a second bombing wave to the Typhoon bombers which had bombed Caen/Caupiquet aerodrome an hour before. However they found 9/10 cloud at Ouistreham at 8000 feet and the operation was abandoned.
09-Apr-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Roadstead 55 12:50 14:30 Swept the Sept Iles – Ile de Batz area for shipping reported there, as often, ship-like rocks were found.
13-Apr-43 P.7099 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Roadstead from Exeter 12:45 14:00 A 3,000 ton M/V escorted by “E” Boats had been reported off BREHAT, but this sweeping operation failed to locate them.
13-Apr-43 P.7099 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Circus 22 17:30 19:00 Brest/Guipavas aerodrome was successfully divebombed with 20 x 250lb bombs.
06-May-43 P.7048 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Roadstead 65 17:15 18:10 Attack on tanker with 5 small escort vessels reported W.N.W. of Alderney. The Casquets were indeed found in this position.
11-May-43 P.7057 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Ship Recco 13:00 14:20 Uneventful recco south of Jersey
14-May-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Roadstead 67 21:00 21:45 Attack on two destroyers alongside the Quai Maritime alternatively a medium M/V in the Basin Napoleon in Cherbourg docks
15-May-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Night Roadstead 2 02:05 04:30 Attack on convoy off Barfleur. S/L Warnes and Sgt Simpson couldn't find it. F/Lt Holmes bombed one ship of it but did not see whether he hit it (Cat 4). F/Lt Blackshaw returned to orbit Exeter, Harrowbeer and Exeter again, without lights or R/T and then crashed fatally near Exeter.
18-May-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Roadstead 18:50 20:20 No minesweepers were found in their suspected position between Jersey and Brehat.
19-May-43 P.7059 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Night Recco 00:50 01:15 Repitition of previous nights uneventful ship Reccos.
22-May-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Night Roadstead 2 00:25 01:50 Attack on convoy steaming from Cap de la Hague towards Cherbourg.
23-May-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes Roadstead 70 07:45 09:00 Attack on convoy nearing Guernsey from C de la Hague
06-Jun-43 P.7040 F/Lt J.W.E. Holmes 10 Group Roadstead 72 17:15 18:45 It was intended to dive-bomb Cherbourg Docks. But found 10/10 cloud at 7000-12000 feet over the target
 See also the Summary Jun-Jul 42 tab