Wings from World War II made a dramatic flypast over Perth on Wednesday, July 20.
A Spitfire and a Hurricane bomber swooped over the city centre in honour of Ft Lt Ernie Holmes DFC in a tribute to the 100-year-old hero pilot who died in Perth in October last year.
The weather was perfect, with great visibility for crowds near the River Tay to see the two vintage aircraft perform a memorable flying display.
They came in up the river initially, turned and started the show.
Flying in close formation, they did three passes and on the last pass over Perth they separated and banked over to show the silhouette of the planes.
Perth author and flying history enthusiast Ken Bruce said: “This was a truly impressive display. Many around me commented they had never seen a Spitfire or a Hurricane flying before, only on the ground.”
Enjoying the sight of the planes over Perth, many came out to pay tribute to the legendary wartime pilot who volunteered to join the RAF aged only 19 and went on to train others at Scone and Errol airports and even saved pupils from a burning plane wreck.
Tay Street was lined with well over two hundred people, from the George Hotel right down to the railway bridge. There were more on the North Inch.
Present to see the tribute to their war-decorated father Ernie was David Holmes and his sister Alison.
Air Vice-Marshall Ross Paterson CB OBE ADC BSc PGCE FCIPD RAFR, the Air Officer Scotland, was watching beside them with the Lord Lieutenants of Fife, the Dutch Military Attaché and Group Captain Montgomery RAF (retired).
Armed forces and veterans champion for Perth, Bailie Chris Ahern along with Provost Xander McDade and several officials from Perth and Kinross Council joined the throngs admiring the flypast put on by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Ernie’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren were present afterwards at a memorial service at St John’s Episcopal Church in Princes Street which was attended by many online.
The latest great-grandchild to be named after Ernie was born on Tuesday.
Descendents of Fons Van der Heijden, the man who hid Ernie after his plane was shot down in Holland, were also in the church.
Two eulogies were given, one by son David Holmes and another by former flying pupil, Air Lingus captain Don Foley. Both said how proud they were to share Ernie’s remarkable story.
The Holmes family expressed thanks for the support shown for Ernie who fought bravely as an elite ‘Pathfinder’ Lancaster bomber pilot and endured time in Stalag Luft III PoW camp during the coldest winter on record.
