Fred Parkinson Holliday

Fred Parkinson Holliday DSO, MC, AFC (20 February 1888 – 5 March 1980), was an Australian-born fighter pilot and ace of the First World War. He shot down 17 German aircraft between his entry into the war and its end, making him the 11th highest-scoring Australian-born pilot of the war. He served with the RFC and RAF throughout, in the No. 48 Squadron. He was awarded the Military Cross on 26 July 1917 for a particularly successful encounter with five German aircraft, and was later given the Distinguished Service Order.[1]

Fred Parkinson Holliday
Born20 February 1888
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died5 March 1960(1960-03-05) (aged 72)
Canada
Allegiance United Kingdom
 Canada
Service/branchCanadian Army
Royal Flying Corps
Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
RankGroup Captain
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsDistinguished Service Order
Military Cross
Air Force Cross

Born in Fitzroy, Victoria, as a youth Holliday was sent to Britain to complete his schooling, attending grammar school in Brighton. He served in the Sussex Yeomanry for three years, but after completing further studies in electrical and mechanical engineering moved to Canada. In September 1914, he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a sapper in the Canadian Engineers.[1] He was appointed a temporary Second Lieutenant in December 1915,[2] and he subsequently transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, serving first as an observer and then as a pilot.[1]

Holliday survived the war, and after working briefly in Sweden, he returned to Canada. He saw further service in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, reaching the rank of group captain. He died at the age of 72.[1]

Awards and honours
  • 26 July 1917 – Temp. Lt. Fred Parkinson Holliday, Gen. List and RFC is awarded the Military Cross For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. In company with another pilot he attacked five hostile aircraft, setting one on fire, driving down another out of control, and dispersing the remainder. He has previously done fine work, bringing down eight hostile machines in all.[3]
  • 25 August 1917 – T./Lt. Fred Parkinson Holliday, Gen. List and RFC is awarded the Distinguished Service Order – For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. By his initiative and skilful manoeuvring he led six hostile machines to an encounter with our own formation, during which five out of the six hostile machines were destroyed and driven down. He had been equally successful the day before in misleading hostile aircraft, and his originality and fearless example were of the greatest value to his squadron. [4]
  • 30 May 1919 – Capt. (A./Maj.) Fred Parkinson Holliday, DSO, MC (Can. Eng) is awarded the Air Force Cross.[5]

Notes
  1. "Fred Parkinson Holliday". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  2. "No. 29417". The London Gazette. 24 December 1915. p. 12846.
  3. "No. 30204". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 July 1917. p. 7631.
  4. "No. 30251". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 August 1917. p. 8802.
  5. "No. 31378". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 May 1919. p. 7033.
gollark: computers goodnot computers bad
gollark: Expanding on what I previously said, you can already pay for a commercial suborbital flight these days, and space travel is cheapening, so maybe by 2030 you'll be able to travel between continents by rocket in an hour or so by commercial suborbital rocket for... a million dollars or so.People will inevitably complain about this, too.
gollark: The nuclear fuel heats the propellant which gives it exhaust velocity.
gollark: Yes they do. Not that they're actually used because nuclear.
gollark: Nuclear rockets are.

References
  • Gutman, J. Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War 1. London: Osprey Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-1-84603-201-1.
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