Eugene F. Holmes, Lieut. (1943)

DRAKE, EMERSON, EYERLY, HOLMES

Posted By: Treva Patterson
Date: 6/16/2007 at 13:24:36

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, May 26, 1943

WINTERSET FLYER INSTANTLY KILLED

Collided With Other Plane at 600-Foot Altitude on Training Flight

Lieut. Eugene F. Holmes, one of Winterset's most popular young men and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Holmes of Scott township, was killed last Friday in an airplane crash at the army air base at Denton, Tex. He was 25 years of age.

Lieutenant Holmes was on a routine training flight when the fatal accident occurred. He was flying solo, and at an altitude of about 600 feet the wing of his plane hit the wing of another plane, containing a flight instructor and another officer. Both planes were crippled and plunged to the earth. All three flyers rode their planes down, as they were not high enough to allow the use of parachutes. All three were killed.

The young flyer had been in the army almost a year and nine months. He left Winterset with the Selective Service contingent of Sept. 2, 1941. After completing his basic training he was assigned to an artillery battalion and was stationed in the east for most of his enlisted service. Later he was selected for officer's training and in February he received his commission as a second lieutenant in the field artillery.

Late in February, after receiving his commission, Lieutenant Holmes was in Winterset on furlough. From here he went to Ft. Sill, Okla., where he transferred to the First Army Air Force Liaison detachment for training as an artillery liaison pilot at Denton. He had been there about five weeks when his death occurred.

Lieutenant Holmes was born June 6, 1917, on a farm near Winterset, the son of Fred and Agnes Holmes. His early life was spent in the Zion community where he was a member of the Zion Federated church. He graduated from the Winterset high school with the class of 1934, after which he operated the Holmes Produce station here for several years. He left that business to enter the service of his country.

He was married on Aug. 9 of last year to Miss Aurola Eilene Eyerly of Winterset. She had been with him in Oklahoma and Texas since March 15 of this year.

The young flyer is survived by his wife; his parents; three sisters, Mrs. Helen Drake of Seattle, Wash., Mrs. Marjorie Emerson of Peru and Lucile Holmes of Winterset; and two brothers, Herbert Holmes of Philadelphia, Pa., and Michael Holmes, fireman second class of the U. S. navy.

Funeral services were held here this Wednesday from the Winterset Methodist church in charge of the pastor, the Rev. W. A. Samp. Military honors were accorded by Green-Rogers post of the American Legion, and a military escort, Lieut. Samuel W. Humphrey, who accompanied the body here from Texas. Burial was made in the Winterset cemetery.

All Winterset business houses closed during the services as a tribute to the young man's sacrifice.

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