Original British WWII RAF RCAF Air Force Uniform Set With Visor For DFC Recipient Flying Officer Robert Gray Holden Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a wonderful example of an RAF Officer’s “smooth blue” service dress uniform. We believe this uniform to belong to Flying Officer Robert Gray Holden, due to the last name written inside of the trousers and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal on the ribbon stack, though we are not completely certain. The uniform has a few interesting variables in it, one being the British RAF pilot wings (not RCAF) and the Canadian Volunteer award on the ribbon stack which was awarded to Canadians. We have not been able to find an solid information on the pilot, but we did come across a rather interesting story from despatches he was mentioned in:

“Flying Officer Holden was detailed one night in July, 1944, to attack Hamburg and Sergeant Clay was his rear gunner. Whilst over the target the aircraft was swept by cannon and machine gun fire from an enemy fighter. Sergeant Clay was severely wounded and the aircraft became uncontrollable. It dived steeply and Flying Officer Holden ordered the crew to escape by parachute. The navigator, bomb aimer and mid-upper gunner jumped. After losing 10,000 feet the pilot regained control and rescinded his order to abandon the aircraft. Sergeant Clay crawled to the nose of the aircraft where he remained during the return flight helping Flying Officer Holden to navigate his aircraft through a most heavily defended area of Germany. Only when the aircraft was being landed in England did Sergeant Clay indicate that he was injured by requesting Flying Officer Holden to have an ambulance to meet the bomber on the airfield. Flying Officer Holden And Sergeant Clay displayed unswerving devotion to duty and set an example of the highest standard.”

The uniform itself is in wonderful condition and does show signs of wear, but is presented without any extensive damage. There is some slight tearing to the interior lining, but nothing that takes away from the beauty of it. There are no names present in the coat, only the name HOLDEN can be found written on the inside of the trousers. All buttons are present and the ribbons and devices appear to be original to the uniform.

The peaked visor was an addition to the uniform to complete a wonderful display appearance. The visor itself appears to be a late war or immediate post war produced version and has a leather liner that is torn and almost completely detached. The crown insignia which can be removed witht he hat band is a queens crown (post 1952 for Elizabeth). There is a name present in the visor but we have not made any attempts to locate service information.

A wonderful uniform set that comes more than ready for further research and display.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9.5″
Shoulder to sleeve: 26”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17”
Chest width: 18″
Waist width: 16.5″
Hip width: 20.5”
Front length: 32″

Pants:
Waist: 16″
Inseam: 31″

The RAF underwent rapid expansion prior to and during the Second World War. Under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of December 1939, the air forces of British Commonwealth countries trained and formed “Article XV squadrons” for service with RAF formations. Many individual personnel from these countries, and exiles from occupied Europe, also served with RAF squadrons. By the end of the war the Royal Canadian Air Force had contributed more than 30 squadrons to serve in RAF formations, similarly, approximately a quarter of Bomber Command’s personnel were Canadian. Additionally, the Royal Australian Air Force represented around nine percent of all RAF personnel who served in the European and Mediterranean theatres. During the Battle of Britain in 1940, the RAF defended the skies over Britain against the numerically superior German Luftwaffe. In what is perhaps the most prolonged and complicated air campaign in history, the Battle of Britain contributed significantly to the delay and subsequent indefinite postponement of Operation Sea Lion, His plans for an invasion of the UK. In the House of Commons on 20 August, prompted by the ongoing efforts of the RAF, Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech to the nation, where he said “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

The largest RAF effort during the war was the strategic bombing campaign against Germany by Bomber Command. While RAF bombing of Germany began almost immediately upon the outbreak of war at first it was ineffectual; it was only later, particularly under the leadership of Air Chief Marshal Harris, that these attacks became increasingly devastating, from early 1943 onward, as new technology and greater numbers of superior aircraft became available. The RAF adopted night-time area bombing on German cities such as Hamburg and Dresden. Night time area bombing constituted the great bulk of the RAF’s bombing campaign, mainly due to Harris, but it also developed precision bombing techniques for specific operations, such as the “Dambusters” raid by No. 617 Squadron,[ or the Amiens prison raid known as Operation Jericho.