Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 119 Royal Canadian Air Force, RAF Squadrons 178,199 Eric's Story: A Search for Two Boys Veteran's carry with them many images from wartime service. One that haunted me for many years was that of a lady and the two boys standing beside her. The picture was on the night table of a fellow airman who was killed in action. I was not able to solve the mystery of those figures until the 1980's, and help came unexpectedly through my helping another lady learn something of her father. In May of 1988, a lady in England, whose father was a Canadian shot down and killed in Burma, had advertised in our Canadian Legion Magazine requesting information from any Canadian who had spent time in Bournemouth, England in 1943. She was trying to trace her father's steps prior to his death in 1944. I responded to her request. We exchanged notes and information for some time, and it was through her, Mrs. M. Phillips, that I was put on the trail of locating the relatives of Sam Holder. You can imagine my elation when I received my first letter from Margery Holder, wife of Vivian Holder, nephew of my friend Alfred S. Holder, the subject of this testimony. Alfred S. Holder I had met Holder in late 1943 or early 1944. As we were both commissioned, we met in the Mess at Marston Moor. I think he stood out because he was older than us; I would have been 19 or 20 while Sam was in his early forties. He was affectionately called 'Pops' by his colleagues. In any case, he was a real 'Balance Wheel' and respected by all. The next time I saw Sam was at the Briefing Room on May 2nd, 1945. To my surprise he was on the Battle List, as was I, for a raid over Kiel that night. We talked very little, but I did learn his gear was placed in my hut across from my bed that same day. Sam was a member of Bill Brooks' crew reactivated for that special duty raid that night. Sam's crew and another crew from 199 Squadron did not return, and as we were also hit and forced to land at Manston, I was not aware of Sam's death for approximately five days. Returning to my hut and being appointed Orderly Officer that day, I was present when the Quarter Master and I packed his gear. It was then, on his night table, I noticed this picture of a lady with two little boys standing beside her. This picture was packed with his gear and returned to the Quarter Master stores to my knowledge. I have had that picture of those two little boys burned into my brain for all these years. To me they had lost their dad on the last raid of the war - which was so unnecessary as the war was essentially over by then. Who were the boys ? It was through Margery Holder in 1988 that I learned who the boys were; they were Keith, age 10, and Vivian (Margery's husband), age 3, in 1945. Also, the boys and lady in that picture were the family of Eric R. MacMillan continued ...
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