Fred Parkinson Holliday

Fred Parkinson Holliday
Born	20 February 1888 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	5 March 1980(1980-03-05) (aged 92) Canada
Allegiance	United Kingdom Canada
Service/branch	Canadian Army Royal Flying Corps Royal Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force
Rank	Group Captain
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Distinguished Service Order Military Cross Air Force Cross

Fred Parkinson Holliday DSO, MC, AFC (20 February 1888 – 5 March 1980) was an Australian 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. He survived the war and returned to Canada, where he died at the age of 92.

A Sapper in the Canadian Engineers he was appointed a temporary Second Lieutenant in December 1915.^[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.^[2]

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. ^[3]

30 May 1919 - Capt. (A./Maj.) Fred Parkinson Holliday, DSO, MC (Can. Eng) is awarded the Air Force Cross.^[4]

Notes

^ London Gazette: no. 29417. p. 12846. 24 December 1915. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30204. p. 7631. 26 July 1917. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30251. p. 8802. 25 August 1917. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31378. p. 7033. 30 May 1919. Retrieved 2009-05-09.

References

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

Aviation in World War I

People and aircraft	Commanders · Aces · Aircraft of the Entente Powers · Aircraft of the Central Powers · Zeppelins

Campaigns and battles	Strategic bombing (German, Cuxhaven) · Bombing of cities · Fokker Scourge · Flight over Vienna · Bloody April · Battles

Entente Powers air services	Australian Flying Corps · British air services (Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force) · French Air Service · Imperial Russian Air Force · Italian Military Air Corps · United States Army Air Service · Greek air services (Army Air Service, Naval Air Service)

Central Powers air services	German air services (Army Air Service, Navy Air Service) · Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops · Ottoman Air Force · Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section

Persondata
Name	Holliday, Fred Parkinson
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	20 February 1888
Place of birth	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Date of death	5 March 1980
Place of death	Canada