It was a privilege to meet up with a former resident of Frogmore and to sit down with Thomas Maxwell Holmes on June 26 2012 to speak regarding the 70 year reunion in England of Allied Forces Bomber Command veterans and to listen to him tell about his time with the Allied Forces in the bombing of Germany from 1942 to 1944-45.

Max Holmes, 88, was nominated and included with the Veteran Allied Forces Command Units 70 year reunion in London, celebrating the overdue recognition of the Allied Forces from Australia, New Zealand and Canada and their input in hastening victory over Germany in 1945.

Max was advised not to attend by close friends, who felt the arduous trip over and back, and the pace of the celebrations in a short space of time, would set back his present health.

Max says he is disappointed and regrets that he withdrew from partaking in the celebrations in England, hence it is fitting that Max’s story be remembered by Boorowa and Frogmore residents during the Bomber Command Allied Forces celebrations in England.

Max says he is the only surviving member of the Bomber Command in the Boorowa, Yass, and Young District.

Thomas, known as Max Holmes, joined the air force in 1942, training at Kingaroy and Maryborough Old and Evans Head NSW for six months.

He was sent to England in November 1942, doing another six months training at Waddington in England’s north.

He went into action as a midupper gun turret gunner in a Lancaster Bomber. Max and his crew flew 29 operations over German occupied locations in France and bombing shipping.

In Germany his squadron bombed German Army bases and manufacturing industry in German towns near the Rhine Valley.

Max said their Lancaster Plane had a few close calls from gunfire flack from anti air craft fire and also from enemy aircraft, and it was Max’s job to retaliate and fend off attack from the enemy while the pilot took evasive action.

The pilot of Max’s crew did 30 operations on the first tour of duty, while the crew comprised of flight engineer, navigator, wireless operator, two gunners, a pilot and assistant.

In between tours of duty, he did 29 sorties over occupied France and enemy bases in Germany.

The crew did ground duties for six months before the second tour of duty, and by late 1944 and early 1945 Germany was on the defensive, France was free.

Therefore with the Americans already occupying Germany, Max’s second tour of duty flight operations were scaled back.

Near the end of the war Max was posted to ground duties for the RAAF Squadron 189 and he was designated officer in charge of all flying equipment.

Immediately when peace was declared Max returned to Frogmore as a civilian and farmer.

His war RAAF experience did not hinder his exuberance, and he became involved in civilian activities both in Frogmore and Boorowa.

The Holmes family in 1957 was dealt a terrible tragedy with the sudden death of Max’s young wife, Bernadette as a result of a car accident on the Frogmore Rd.

Their baby, Pauline, only one year old, was the only passenger and fortunately survived this tragedy.

Max continued farming at Altondale, Frogmore.

His brothers Frank, Bob, John, and Peter and sister Anne moved on from Frogmore in latter years.

Max was President of the Frogmore Parents and Citizens and a Shire Councillor for the Boorowa Shire for three years.

He was involved and instrumental in starting the Agriculture Bureau in Boorowa and Frogmore, and at the same time was treasurer of the Boorowa Sub Branch RSL.

In 1968 Max was honoured by the Ambulance Board with Dr I Kelf and Lester Geddings for 16 years’ fruitful service in establishing a permanent Ambulance Station and Residence in Market Street. The First Permanent Officer was Ted Eales.

Before this historic occasion Boorowa was served by voluntary drivers, i.e., A.P. Webb, and ambulances were supplied from Goulburn and Yass.

Max is a committed Christian and was a member of the St Patrick’s Branch of St Vincent de Paul, visiting patients with newspapers at the hospital every Sunday morning.

He was a Committee and Board Member of the Catholic Church at Frogmore and Boorowa.

In the late 1970s Max sold Altondale and moved to Young and bought a Milk Run and Milk Depot, which he served at for 13 years.

In Young he became Regional President of the St Vincent de Paul Society and still did visitations and assistance to those in need.

At the young age of 88 Thomas Max Holmes was honoured on the June 3 2003 to become a life member of the Returned Services League of Australia in appreciation of services rendered.

In his spare time (if he has any) you can find Max as Receptionist Volunteer at The Lambing Flat Museum ,Campbell St, Young. He plays a bit of bowls.

What a marvellous and interesting life Max has led, and he is not letting his 88 years slow him down. Congratulations and good on you Max.