16 December 1943 – 100 Squadron RAF Waltham – Avro Lancaster III – JD560 – W/C D W Holford - Ops Berlin
Location – On Lincolnshire Wolds close to RAF Kelstern airfield
Damaged by night fighter and crashed on return to RAF Waltham from operation to Berlin in very bad visibility. Many aircraft were lost on return that night which was known as Black Thursday. Holford opted to allow other aircraft to land first. When the aircraft hit the high ground he was thrown clear into a snow drift and injured. One of the crew was killed outright and the rest were taken to nearby Louth Hospital. David Holford died of exposure soon after. Three of the other crew members also died and the remaining two recovered
W/C David William Holford DSO DFC RAF - Pilot - 22 – 100 Sqn - Son of William and Henrietta Louisa Watson Holford; husband of Joan Audrey Holford (nee Munro), of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex – Cambridge City Cemetery.
Sgt Joseph Wunderly RAFVR - Flight Engineer - 23 – 100 Sqn - Son of William James Wunderley and Beatrice Ellen Wunderley, of Pendleton, Salford. - Salford Agecroft Cemetery
P/O Robert Edward Mason RAFVR – Air Bomber - 21 – 100 Sqn - Son of Edward Parr Mason and Ruth Mason, of Winchcomb. - Winchcombe Greet Road Cemetery
P/O Harold Baxter Wareham RCAF – Navigator – 30 - 100 Sqn - Son of Wilfred W. Wareham and Lydia Wareham; husband of Alice E. Wareham, of St. John's, Newfoundland. - Cambridge City Cemetery
Sgt R Mackay RAFVR - Wireless Operator – 100 Sqn – Seriously injured
W/O Horace Whybrow RAFVR – Air Gunner – 27 – 100 Sqn - Son of William and Lily Whybrow of Over. – Over St Mary Churchyard
F/S Charles Edward Donovan Bolingbroke RAAF - Air Gunner – 100 Squadron – Seriously injured
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David W Holford DSO DFC
An outstanding airman, officer and gentleman in every way who flew a tour with 103 Squadron earlier in the war.
See the Holford Profile Page on the 103 Sqn website
Dr Tom Kirk who was GP at Barton knew Holford well and after his death wrote this in his diary.
'David Holford is dead. In one of the crashes that Black Thursday night. I feel absolutely wretched. David was the finest of all the young RAF boys - in fact I liked and respected him more than I can say. He had just bought a house near Grimsby for his wife and baby. Is this the way to win the war - by sacrificing all our best? And is all this bombing really shortening the war?" Dr Tom Kirk GP - Barton upon Humber - WW2.
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P/O Harold Baxter Wareham RCAF
F/S C E D Bolingbroke RAAF
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Compiled by David Fell. Photos courtesy of the Smith family, CVWM and AVWM
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