Category Archives: Ronald Percy Holmes

Escaped Prisoners Morgan Francis and Ronald Holmes Killed While on the Run

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Grave markers for PG 53 escapee Morgan Francis and PG 59 escapee Ronald Holmes, Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, Italy. Images courtesy findagrave.com.

In a previous post, I explained how James Davis had contacted me with information about a downed Wellington Bomber on which his grandfather, Sgt. Robert Charles Davis (644393), served as rear gunner. Read “Vickers Wellington IC DV416 Downed in Italy—Five Crew Members Bound for PG 59.”

James’ own excellent web page about the plane and crew is fettle.org.uk/DV416/.

The plane’s navigator, Sgt. Ronald Percy Holmes (1375674), was shot by fascists after escaping from PG 59. James shared with me several statements from the investigation into the crash, DV416 AIR 81/11245, on the shooting of Ronald Holmes and Morgan Francis.

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Vickers Wellington IC DV416 Downed in Italy—Five Crew Members Bound for PG 59

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Rear Gunner Sgt. Robert Charles Davis—image courtesy James Davis
Second Pilot Warrant Officer Stuart Marshall Cross—image courtesy the Canadian Letters & Images Project

Occasionally I post a query on this site that goes unaddressed for months or years, and then suddenly, out of the blue, the mystery is addressed. This happened to me last week. 

In 2015 I had published a post titled “Italian Helpers—Two Queries.” My friends Anne Copley and Giordano Viozzi were searching for information on Ronald P. Holmes, who had been sheltered by Oreste Belleggia of Piane di Falerone.

At the time I couldn’t help.

However, last week I received an email from James Davis:

“My grandfather’s Wellington Bomber ran out of fuel and landed in Sicily, with at least some of the crew ending up in PG 59.”

It turns out Ronald P. Holmes was the navigator on this downed Wellington Bomber.

“I’m slowly working through archives to find out more of his story,” James explained. “I’m organizing my notes at fettle.org.uk/DV416/.

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