Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Sergeant (Flight Engineer) V. S. Holloway, 427 (Lion) Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed in action when his Halifax was shot down by a night fighter and crashed over Herhahn whilst on a bombing raid to Nuremberg, on 30-31 March 1944, on the night that the Royal Air Force suffered their heaviest losses of the whole War, with 96 aircraft lost

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Air Council enclosure and medal tickets, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mrs. M. L. Holloway, Mena, 8 Queens Rod, Slough, Bucks.’, extremely fine (3) £360-£440

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Royal Air Force Casualties.

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Vincent Sydney Holloway served during the Second World War as a Flight Engineer with 427 (Lion) Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force). He joined an immensely experienced and decorated crew, most of whom were on their second operational tour, with four of his crew having been awarded the D.F.M. with 78 Squadron. His first operational sortie was to Frankfurt on 22 March 1944, a raid that effectively ended the city’s existence, and he followed this up with a raid on the ‘Big City’, Berlin on 24 March. This raid, known as ‘The Night of the Strong Winds’ was a catastrophic failure for Bomber Command and the last raid on Berlin.

Holloway was killed in action when Halifax LV898, piloted by Squadron Leader J. M. Bissett, D.F.M., was detailed to attack Nuremberg, as part of the main force of 795 aircraft, and was shot down by an enemy night-fighter and crashed at Herhahn, 4km north west of Schleiden, on 30-31 March 1944. All the crew were killed.

The raid on Nuremberg on the night of 30-31 March 1944 was the blackest night for Bomber Command in the whole of the War, with some 96 aircraft lost. The Bomber Command War Diaries by Martin Middlebrook gives the following account:
‘This would normally have been the moon and stand down period for the main bomber force but a raid on the distant target of Nuremberg (8 hours round trip) was planned on the basis of a forecast predicting protective high cloud on the outward route. 795 aircraft were despatched. The German Controller ignored all diversions and assembled his fighters at 2 radio beacons which happened to be astride the route to Nuremberg. The first night fighters appeared just before the bombers reached the Belgian border and a fierce battle in the moonlight lasted for the next hour. 82 bombers were lost on the outward route. The action was much reduced on the return flight, when most of the night fighters had had to land but 96 bombers were lost in total, the largest Bomber Command loss of the war. The main raid over Nuremberg was a failure, the city was covered in thick cloud and a fierce cross wind which developed on the final target approach made the Pathfinder aircraft move too far to the East, little damage was caused. Subsequent research showed that 120 aircraft had bombed Schweinfurt, 50 miles to the North West of Nuremberg and that there had been a 10 mile ‘creep back’ in the main bombing.’

Three Halifax’s from 427 Squadron were lost in the raid with only two crew members surviving. The Nuremberg Raid by Martin Middlebrook gives additional information on Holloway’s aircraft:
‘At least nine flight commanders went missing, all killed. 427 (Lion) Squadron lost both A and B flight commanders- Squadron Leader’s Bissett, D.F.M., and Laird, D.F.C., both Manitobans. Bissett’s crew had already caused anxiety on the squadron when starting their second tour by their apparent unconcern at the importance of keeping on course and his loss was not unexpected. In fact, Bissett’s Halifax had crashed almost exactly on track south of Aachen.’

Holloway is buried along with his crew in Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany. His medals were sent to his mother, Mrs. Maude Louise Holloway.

Sold with copied research.