THREE thousand dollars can go a long way – all the way to London in fact.
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The Australian Government is giving Australian Bomber Command veterans, like Young’s Max Holmes, an opportunity to attend the Bomber Command Memorial Dedication and unveiling in London by way of a $3000 grant.
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren Snowdon, is encouraging veterans to register with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Association for the grant so they can attend the ceremony that takes place on June 28 this year.
Come November, it will be 70 years since Mr Holmes, now 88, volunteered to join the RAAF in the Australian Bomber Command.
He said he’s not inclined to register for the grant because he feels it might bring back too many memories, but he thinks it’s good the government is giving veterans the chance to attend the ceremony.
Back when he was 18-years-old, Mr Holmes trained for 18 months in Australia and then England before he joined the 467 Squadron in 1944. He then flew mission over German territory throughout World War II.
His first time in the air was during a night raid where he sat in the mid-upper turret - a canopy located on top of the plane with a 360 degree view - of a Lancaster four-engine bomber.
“In the mid-upper turret we had two 303 machine guns, while the rear turret had four 303 machine guns and the front turret had two – we were taking out planes,” Mr Holmes said.
“We suffered very heavy losses throughout the war because there was no ground operation throughout France and Germany until later in on.”
“The Royal Air Force (RAF) had 1000 planes – some of the operations we had little opposition while others we suffered heavy casualties. It appeared the Germans had knowledge of what our targets were,” he said.
The RAF mainly undertook night raids, bombing German civilian cities until the the landings of allied invasion forces on the ground.
“We hated bombing towns and cities but the Germans did this throughout the war – they particularly attacked London,” Mr Holmes said.
“It was something we had to do,” he said.
Full story in Monday, May 14, edition.