Donald Fraser Holder
Born 25 Jun 1922 - Died 27 Aug 1944
- Service number
- WWII NZ421053 AWMM
- WWII 421053 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- WW2 Flying Officer/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 115 Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- 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
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 25 Jun 1922 Martyn
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- 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
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- WWII NZ421053 AWMM
- WWII 421053 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- Royal Air Force, No. 115 Squadron AWMM
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- —
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 07 Feb 1942 Martyn Apprentice plumber/Civilian Martyn
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Killed on air operations AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW2 Flying Officer/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 115 Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- 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
- Donald Holder was the son of Albert William Holder and Leila Beatrice Holder (nee Burrows), of New Plymouth, New Zealand.
About death
- Death
- 27 Aug 1944 AWMM
Age 22 AWMM - Date of death
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- 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
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, United Kingdom AWMM
Sources
- External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1800325
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ha - Hy. Archives New Zealand (R17845611)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845611
Sources Used - List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. Archives New Zealand (R17845745)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845745
Sources Used
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
- References
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
Vol.3, p.251 - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ha - Hy. Archives New Zealand (R17845611) - Former archives reference: AIR118
- Please note that the 11 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.
- 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)
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
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