No. 624070, Sergeant (Air Gunner), Cecil Charles HOLDEN
Aged 25
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Cecil Charles Holden was born 1918 (Mildenhall Q1-1919 4A:1199), son of Harry and Lily HOLDEN (née FRASER) of Elveden
In the 1939 register at Cottage Homes, Elveden were his father Harry [22-3-1876] farm labourer; mother Lily [3-11-1882]; brother George HOLDEN married farm labourer and sister Jessie F.FIX [5-5-1915] married domestic. There are 2 closed records. |
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"Broken Wings:Air War over Cranendonck and Hamon 1940-1945" (Budel 2011) by Réné Vos tells the story:- Short Stirling Mk 3 ser no BK650 c/s HA-T was part of a bombing mission from RAF Downham Market on Möenchen Gladbach. On the way back, over a zinc factory at Dorplein, around 4 am, the plane was hit by German night fighters and the order was given to bail out. Just as P/O Gerald Lorne jumped, the plane blew up, scattering debris over a distance of four kilomtres. Four of the crew did not survive, Pilot - F/O William Clague; F/Eng - Sgt Jack Whetton; Wireless Op/Air Gunner - Sgt Harold Butler and Air Gunner - Sgt Cecil Holden. Pilot Officer Gerald Lorne, the Observer/Bombardier, despite having a foot broken by flying debris, landed safely in woods northwest of Weert, and avoided capture, being taken down the escape line to reach Gibraltar by early February 1944 and was back in England on February 6th. His story can be found here Canadian tail gunner Sgt A Fredrickson was taken prisoner and was interned in Stalag XXA Kopernicus at Thorn in Poland. Navigator Sgt Ian Robb stayed free with the resistance through Liege, Brussels, Paris, Rhiems and Fismes before being betrayed and captured by the Gestapo on December 31st, ending up in Buchenwald concentration camp before the Red Cross managed to get him transferred to Stalagluft 3 in Sagan. His story can be found here
Short Stirling Mk 3 photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
