Sgt Robert Harry Holliday

Robert was born in 1923, the son of Harry Holliday and his wife Sophia Hannah. His father was a military taylor.

He joined the RF during the second world war, ultimately working as a flight engineer in a Lancaster bomber crew stationed at RAF Elsham Wolds. He was part of 103 Squadron, part of No 1. Group (one of the two operations groups of RAF Command). 103 Squadron is credited with flying the most operational sorties of any other squadron in 1 Group.

On Christmas eve 1944 his crew were part of a bombing raid on Köln. They took off at 14:43 from Elsham. As the Lancaster was over Sindorf, Kerpen, in Germany, it was intercepted by 21 year old Leutnant Walter Kalmbach, who shot them down at 18:39. The Lancaster crashed with the loss of all crew members. Robert is buried with the wireless operator, John Herbert, at Rheinberg War Cemetery.