Regiment: R.A.F..
Died: 23 January 1941 aged 32 in . Killed in action.
Cemetery: Drumbeg (St. Patrick) Church Of Ireland Churchyard Sec. F. Grave 12.
Son of Buckley Holmes and of Ethel Maud Holmes (nee Wensley), Cannock Park, Deganwy, North Wales.
Hits. VI. School Prefect.
The Queen's College, Oxford (1st Class Jurisprudence).
Civil Servant in Northern Ireland Government.
Husband of Dorothy Margaret Probert Holmes (nee Newman), of Belfast. B.A.
502 Sqdn. Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)
The squadron flew patrols in the Atlantic off the Irish Coast with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys.
'Behind an attractive diffidence of manner, he concealed a strong determination and this enabled him to take a good position in both House and School and claim the respect of his contemporaries. He had good abilities as shown by his first class at Oxford and his career was full of promise. Though no athlete, he had a good physique and some years ago took up flying as a member of the R.A.F. Reserve. While he was always content with a small circle of friends, it is certain that at Malvern he never had an enemy. F.S.P. ' (Malvernian, Mar 1941).
Whitley aircraft P.5041 took off from Aldergrove on 23rd January 1941 for Escort Duty, HG 50, and crashed near Campbletown, Mull of Kintyre on return from escort duty.
All the crew were killed and consisted of Captain F/Lt P.L. Billing , 2nd Pilot P/O A.P.B Holmes, Navigator Sgt A.R. Booker, W.T. Sgt H Pilling, A.G Sgt D.J.P. Bradley.
Squadron operation records, Jan 1941: AIR 27_1958_1
Detailed records: AIR 27_1958_2