A rare 1938 'inter-war' military division B.E.M. group of four awarded to Vickers Vincent...

A rare 1938 ‘inter-war’ military division B.E.M. group of four awarded to Vickers Vincent Wireless Operator Aircraftman 1st Class, later Pilot Officer, F. W. Holden, 55 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Commissioned as Pilot Officer and Observer in 1940, Holden went on to serve operationally in Hampdens with 61 Squadron - being killed in action on a raid to Cherbourg, 18 April 1941 British Empire Medal, (Military) G.VI.R., 1st issue (516362 A.C. Frederick W. Holden. R.A.F.); 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted on card for display, good very fine (4) £800-£1,200 --- B.E.M. London Gazette 9 June 1938. The Operations Record Book for 55 (B) Squadron, Habbanyia records: ‘June 1938. No. 516362 A.C. 1. Holden, F. W. Wireless Operator of this Squadron was awarded the Medal of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for meritorious service, the award was published in the Special Supplement to the London Gazette dated 9th, June, 1938. The medal was presented to A.C. 1. Holden by the Commanding Officer on a full parade.’ The above Operations Record Book also recorded the following for October 1937: ‘Twelve aircraft led by the Commanding Officer left Dhibban on the 4th on an Inter-Command Colonial Development Flight to Aden, via the Persian Gulf, the Sudan, Egypt, Palestine and Transjordan, and returned according to itinerary on 26th. No forced landings occurred and no trouble of any nature was experienced during the flight. A total distance of 5840 miles was covered, the average flying time per aircraft being 63 hours.’ Holden’s commanding officer, Squadron Leader (later Air Commodore) G. W. Hayes added the following: ‘The decoration awarded to Holden at Habbaniya, Iraq 8th August 1938, was for an act of Extreme Bravery in regard to an incident concerning an aircraft of No. 55 Squadron, at Heliopolis, Egypt on 23 October 1937. At the time Holden was a W/T operator, a member of the crew of my aircraft, a Vickers Vincent No.K6338 of 55 (B) of which I was the pilot, and incidentally Officer Commanding the Squadron. The Squadron was on an Inter-Command Colonial Development Flight, leaving Habbaniya, Iraq on the 4th October 1937 and landing at Heliopolis, Egypt on 21st October 1937, via various landing grounds around the Arabian Peninusla, Aden, Port Sudan, Khartoum and Cairo, Egypt. It was customary in those days, prior to landing at a strange location, to fire a cartridge from a Very Pistol to obtain from the smoke, the direction of the wind, if not otherwise discernible and I ordered my crew to prepare to fire the pistol. In fact I saw the wind direction from dust blown on the wind and cancelled the firing of the Very Pistol outright. Unfortunately, as it later transpired, the Very Pistol was not unloaded prior to landing at Heliopolis, where we landed the same day after some 2 hours of flying. On 23rd October, all 12 aircraft were refuelled prior to completing the long distance flight to Habbaniya and engines were started in order to make a short ‘test flight’ prior to the initial take-off for the last leg of the flight. It was then that I heard a loud report behind me and realised that by accident the Very Pistol had discharged inside the aircraft, and that an unfortunate and potentially dangerous onboard fire was likely. I immediately taxied my aircraft clear of all others, and on reaching ‘open space’ Holden in an act of extreme bravery and total disregard of injury to himself, threw the burning signal flare out if the aircraft using only his bare hands to do so. It was most unfortunate that the Very Pistol had been left loaded, but no member of the crew can be blamed for that, and it most certainly does not detract in any way from the great act of bravery and extreme courage displayed by Holden, which prevented a more serious incident. After arranging for Holden to be taken to hospital for treatment to his badly burned hands, I reported the incident to the Station Commander, Heliopolis and strongly recommended that Holden should be awarded a decoration for his extreme act of selfless Gallantry. As the incident occurred in Egypt, it was left to the Station Commander to submit a recommendation to the Air Ministry through proper channels, leaving me free to complete the ‘special flight’ to Habbaniya. After visiting Holden in hospital and wishing him well, the Squadron completed it’s task, landing at Habbaniya on 26th October 1937, minus, unfortunately, Holden who was a most efficient W/T Operator, and popular member of the Squadron, and had on that flight and at all times, carried out his duties most efficiently and energetically. He was a very worthy member of the Squadron.’ Frederick William Holden was born in Brasted, Kent in June 1914. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force in May 1933, and trained as a Wireless Operator. Holden was mustered as a Wireless Operator (Air Gunner) in October 1935, and was posted as such to Iraq to join 55 (B) Squadron in April 1936. Despite neither his subsequent entries in the London Gazette with regard to his advancement in rank, or his appearance on the CWGC website’s failure to list his post-nominals as B.E.M., there appears to be an Air Ministry record (P/A39 12 Sep 1938) which authorises him for the use of the post-nominals ‘E.G.M.’ (Empire Gallantry Medal). There is also an extant photographic image of him in his officer’s uniform taken after his commissioning in December 1940, which shows Holden wearing the riband of the B.E.M. but with the emblem signifying that the award was an E.G.M. Holden is, however, gazetted for a B.E.M. for Meritorious Service. It is a possibility that the original recommendation may have been for an Empire Gallantry Medal, but at some stage prior to gazetting was changed for a medal for meritorious service. Regardless of the above Holden’s B.E.M. is a rare ‘inter-war’ award, especially to such a junior airman. Holden returned to the UK to carry out Observer training, and was promoted Acting Sergeant in October 1939. He was commissioned Pilot Officer in December 1940, and posted for operational service with 61 Squadron (Hampdens) at Hemswell. Pilot Officer Holden was killed in action carrying out a raid on Cherbourg, 18 April 1941. Hampden I AD732 QR piloted by Flight Lieutenant S. E. Aldridge, D.F.C.: ‘T/o 1520 Hemswell to attack an airfield near Cherbour. Shot down by flak in the target area. Those who died are buried in the Cherbourg Old Communal Cemetery.’ (R.A.F. Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1941 refers) Of the crew of four, only one survived to be taken prisoner of war. Holden was the husband of Lottie Evelyn Holden and had resided with her in Seaford, Sussex. Sold with copied research.