Ernie Holmes
He was awarded the DFC medal (the Distinguished Flying Cross is for “acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against the enemy”) and much later, in February 2020, the French government awarded him their Croix de Guerre.
In the years after the war, life was not dull for the skilful flyer
who got
A picture from WWII when Ernie flew with RAF Squadron 35. Left is Ernie on the farm where a Dutch family sheltered him from the Germans after he parachuted from his stricken plane Pic courtesy of David Holmes