Floyd Holmes                                                                                           Updated: 15 JUN 2018

Airman: v999070.htm Surname: Holmes Init: F Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 406

P_link: p309r.htm Plane: B24 42-40530 Operation: Drop in DK Crash_site: Vognbjerg at Skjern

Crash_d: d070544 Buried_d: v999 C_link: v999.htm At_Next: EVD to S

  "Natten til den 7. maj 1944 nedkastede "Liberator" B-24DSA (B24 40-40530) en sending våben til den danske modstandsbevægelse på en plads ved Rugård
(Rugaard Gods  her, Paddesøvej 7, 5474 Veflinge) på Fyn.

Under returflyvningen over Jylland blev flyet ramt af tysk flak, brød i brand og nedstyrtede nordvest for Skjern." (FAF)
Flystyrtet var her, overblik her og her omkring 400 m nord for Kvembjergevej 15, 6900 Skjern. (Kilde: Keld Vinther).

2 flyvere (2nd Lt (Bombardier) Floyd Holmes og T/Sgt (Radio Operator) Jack C. Wengert blev opsamlet af modstandsbevægelsen og udsejlet til Sverige i løbet af
maj 1944." (FAF)  Mere i Dansk Militærhistorie om The Carpetbaggers af Kim Juhler. Se også Anders Bjørnvads beretning og Toldstrups beretning om de 2 flyvere.

Fra en amerikansk rapport gengivet i FAF s. 18:
"Lt Holmes så fra sit udsigtspunkt i næsen tydeligt, at kun en enkelt kanon afgav skud, og at der kun blev afgivet i alt 5 skud."

69 omkomne flyvere
fra dette og 14 andre fly mindes på Mindetavlen i Rebild. De mistede livet under nedkastningsoperationer til modstandsbevægelsen.
Af samme grund mindes de i London. Se 69 flyvere - St. Clement Danes. Se Google Map Rebild med 15 fly mistet med tab af 69 liv + 3 fly mistet uden tab af liv.
8 flyvere.

 On the night before 7 May 1944 "Liberator" B-24DSA (B24 42-40530) dropped a load of weapons for the Danish resistance movement at a site at the
Rugaard estate
(Rugaard Gods here, Paddesøvej 7, DK-5474 Veflinge) on Fyn.

The plane was hit by German flak, burst into flames and crashed northwest of Skjern on the return flight over Jutland. (FAF) 
The air crash was here, overview here and here about 400 m north of Kvembjergevej 15, 6900 Skjern. (Source: Keld Vinther)

2 airmen (2nd Lt (Bombardier) Floyd Holmes and T/Sgt (Radio Operator) Jack C. Wengert) were picked up by the resistance movement and sailed to Sweden
in May 1944. (Source: FAF) See also Anders Bjørnvad about the 2 airmen, p309r and weapons and Toldstrup about Holmes and Wengert of B24 43-40530.

From an American report quoted in FAF p. 18:
"Lt Holmes, from his vantage point in the nose, saw clearly that only on gun was firing and that a total of five bursts were fired."

69 perished airmen from this and 14 other planes are commemorated on the Memorial Tablet in Rebild. They lost their lives in supply operations to the Danish resistance. For the same reason they are commemorated in London. See 69 airmen - St. Clement Danes. See Google Map Rebild with 15 + 3 planes lost.
This B-24 from 406 BS, 801 BG, 8 AF took off from RAF HarringtonHarrington Aviation Museum has more about the 801st / 492nd Bomb Group. 8 airmen.