Raymond Towers "Ray" Holmes (20 August 1914 – 27 June 2005) was a British fighter pilot who was feted as a war hero who saved Buckingham Palace from being severely damaged by German bombing during the Battle of Britain. On September 15 1940, Sergeant Holmes was on duty in a Hawker Hurricane fighter when he spotted a damaged Dornier Do17 bomber making an attempt for the palace. In avoidance of machine gun fire, Holmes took a head on run with the Dornier, however upon firing discovered his machine guns failed. Holmes decided to ram the bomber hoping his plane could withstand the impact and cut through it. It proved not to be the case, he cut the tail off the bomber with his wing, causing the bomber to crash, but his Hurricane was badly damaged falling into a dive. He bailed out safely even with injuries. He continued flying for the RAF including duties training Russians in combat flying and reconnaissance. He went on to gain his commission and retired as a Flight Lieutenant. After the war, he was a King's Messenger, personally delivering mail to Winston Churchill, and later a journalist. 65 years later, the wreckage of Holmes' Hurricane was discovered and successfully excavated from the streets of London. The discovery was featured on the National Geographic Channel documentary, "The Search for the Lost Fighter Plane".
Ray Holmes died on 27 June 2005, aged 90, following a two-year battle with cancer.
Further reading
- Ray Holmes (1989). Sky Spy: From Six Miles High to Hitler's Bunker. Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-054-4. [autobiography]
