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Cenotaph record

Donald Fraser Holder

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Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, Weekly News - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Donald Fraser AWMM
  • Surname
    Holder AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • WWII NZ421053 AWMM
    • WWII 421053 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    25 June 1922 Martyn Inglewood, Taranaki Martyn
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    • WW2 Mother: Mrs. L. B. Holder, 95 Pendarves Street, New Plymouth AWMM
    • WW2 Parents: Mr. & Mrs. A. W. Holder of New Plymouth AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Single/WWII AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
    Pilot/Military RNZAF Biographies (R17845611)
  • Enlistment
    WW2 7 February 1942 Martyn Apprentice plumber/Civilian Martyn
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
    Killed on air operations AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Donald Holder was the son of Albert William Holder and Leila Beatrice Holder (nee Burrows), of New Plymouth, New Zealand.

      Attended New Plymouth Boys' High School. Source: Martyn, For Your Tomorrow, Vol.3, p.251.

      Attended New Plymouth Boys High School, New Plymouth Technical School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845611)) AWMM
    • Donald Fraser Holder was born on 25 June 1922 in the small Taranaki township of Inglewood. After his education at Central School and New Plymouth Boys High School, he began a plumbing apprenticeship and also played football for the Albion Club, eventually representing Taranaki. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1941 and after two years of military combat training was sent to the United Kingdom in 1943. An aircraft accident meant he was injured for a while before being transferred to various units. He was finally commissioned as a Flying Officer and posted to Operation Squadron No 115 based at Witchford, Cambridgeshire. Flight Officer Holder was the pilot of a Lancaster bomber which crashed over Germany with all its bombs on board, on 27 August 1944. All of the crew on-board died. The cause of the crash was unknown. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, England. There are photographs of Donald with his brother Stephen in the Swainson’s Studios photography collection at Puke Ariki, New Plymouth. Public - Louise - Researcher - 9 July 2019 - West, J. (1995). Lest We Forget. New Plymouth: New Plymouth Boy’s High School Centennial Trust.
      Puke Ariki, Swainson/Woods Collection ARC#SW1923-1965.00099
      Retrieved from https://collection.pukeariki.com/objects/87822
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    27 August 1944 AWMM
    Age 22 AWMM
    AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, United Kingdom AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Donald Fraser Holder

Leave a note

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  • Thank you for being so brave that you joined up so young. My Dad, your little brother John, never stopped missing you.
    Public - Joy - Other relative - 22 April 2020
    Report 
  • Thank you for being so brave that you joined up so young. My Dad, your little brother John, never stopped missing you.
    Public - Joy - Other relative - 22 April 2020
    Report 
  • Thinking about you today, Uncle Donald, and about your brother John, my dad. Being my namesake, you're often in my thoughts. You did a tough job well and paid a heavy price. I'm incredibly proud to bear your name. Rest in peace.
    Public - Donald Roy - Other relative - 3 June 2017
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
      Vol.3, p.251 AWMM
    • RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ha - Hy. Archives New Zealand (R17845611) - Former archives reference: AIR118 AWMM
    • Please note that the 12 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions. AWMM
    • List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [List of Missing - United Kingdom, Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845745) AWMM

Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
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28 July 2020Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher
22 April 2020JoyAshhurst NZOther relative
21 April 2020PaulPalmerston northOther
09 July 2019LouiseNew Plymouth, New ZealandResearcher
08 May 2019ResearcherNew ZealandResearcher

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