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Help wanted please - Yardley Cemetery graves

Astoness

TRUE BRUMMIE MODERATOR
Staff member
hi folk do not have a clue where to start here but is there anyway i can find out info about this man...

flight seargeant D G HOLYOAK 1218832
wireless operator/air gunner RAF
died 18th oct 1944

this is all the info i have expect he is buried at yardley...


thanks folks

lyn
 
thanks MWS ive found him on the find war grave site but will go and look at the links you have posted...just trying to find out if he is a rellie of a friend of mine...

cheers

lyn
 
thanks col...will now have to work backwards to see if he is related to my friend...great links MWS

thanks again

lyn
 
Lyn, there is a series of books entitled "Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses", each covering a separate year and giving some information on the circumstances of individual losses. Expensive to buy but I have seen them in libraries.

Chris
 
Bit of a mystery here for you Lyn, nothing new there then, remember Enos? LOL.

Dennis G Holyoak b, 1923 parents Howard Ralph Holyoak/Thurza(Thirza) M Temple
siblings
Ronald H 1920 married Marjorie Thomas
Marjorie M 1921 may have married PatrickCooper

the mystery!

Howard Ralph Holyoak birth on census and death given as 1894.
in 1901 with mother Mery Tacy and stepfather Thomas Tacy
Mary Holyoak married thomas Tacy in 1899.
In 1891 in Cromwell Street Mary Holyoak is a widow living with her parents John and Bessie Allen she has 2 children William 3,Annie 1 but her husband William who she married in 1888 died in
December 1890 so who is Howards father (1894)
I have used all variations for birth Allen/Holyoak/Tacy and Howard Ralph/Howard R /Howard between 1893/1895 but found no registration.

Thurza Temple (registered Thirza Mary) is the daughter of Isaac Temple / Eunice Martha Rebecca Warren known as Martha.

Does this help at all. Alberta
 
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hi alberta and yes i do remember old enos lol..thanks for that info but thank goodness ive found out that they are no relations to my friends holyoaks...phew

lyn
 
Lyn, there is a series of books entitled "Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses", each covering a separate year and giving some information on the circumstances of individual losses. Expensive to buy but I have seen them in libraries.

Chris


thanks chris...just noticed your post

lyn
 
hi folk do not have a clue where to start here but is there anyway i can find out info about this man...

flight seargeant D G HOLYOAK 1218832
wireless operator/air gunner RAF
died 18th oct 1944

this is all the info i have expect he is buried at yardley...


thanks folks

lyn
Hi there - came across this site while doing some research and trying to find out details of a layout for Yardley Cemetary.
A few years ago I started researching Dennis Holyoak after several 'strange happenings' on visits to Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby where he was briefly based at 630 Squadron before he was tragically lost with a whole lancaster crew on a night time navigation training flight.
As his story with 630sqn was so short, I managed to trace the history of his lancaster instead, and put together lots of notes.
I sort of 'adopted him' although no relation whatsoever, but i'm interested in bomber command/ww2 history etc so it's become a bit of a mission for me! ;-)
A copy of my file of notes is held at the aviation centre as well as the IBCC in Lincoln. I visited Yardley cemetary several years ago as my friend was living near there at the time, but am looking to get back there today now that I have found that his parents are also buried there too, to see if I can find and photograph their graves for my folder.
 
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...."I have found that his parents are also buried there too, to see if I can find and photograph their graves for my folder"..........
....looking at the Birmingham site it lists all the mentioned family names at Yardley but without the grave numbers,
 
...."I have found that his parents are also buried there too, to see if I can find and photograph their graves for my folder"..........
....looking at the Birmingham site it lists all the mentioned family names at Yardley but without the grave numbers,
Hi Keith - yep - with a bit of detective work I found their names and grave numbers (I already knew Dennis') and went for a wander over there this afternoon. I last visited about 10 years ago and we found Dennis' grave then, but sadly my memory failed me today and I just couldn't find him :-(
I stopped at the office to pick up a map so that I can add a mark on it when I find them, but sadly it was closed by the time I got there today so I couldn't ask for their assistance. I am up this way for another few days, so hopefully will have a reply from the office by then and come back to find the graves with a bit of a better idea of the actual locations :-)
 
Sergeant (then Sergeant) Dennis Gordon Holyoak (service number 1218832) served as a wireless operator and air gunner with No. 630 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He tragically died at the age of 21 on October 18, 1944. The crash claimed the lives of the entire aircrew on board. Dennis Gordon Holyoak is buried at Yardley Cemetery, Birmingham, Warwickshire (Grave 53572).
1788890831896.jpeg

NF961 crashed at approximately 02:35 hours possibly due to icing, on Harfa Bank near Osmotherly about 6 miles north-east of Northallerton. Four of the crew are buried at Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, the pilot was buried at Stone Cemetery in Staffs, the wireless operator at Birmingham (Yardley) Cemetery and the rear gunner at Bridgend Cemetery in Wales.
 
Sergeant (then Sergeant) Dennis Gordon Holyoak (service number 1218832) served as a wireless operator and air gunner with No. 630 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He tragically died at the age of 21 on October 18, 1944. The crash claimed the lives of the entire aircrew on board. Dennis Gordon Holyoak is buried at Yardley Cemetery, Birmingham, Warwickshire (Grave 53572).
View attachment 229305

NF961 crashed at approximately 02:35 hours possibly due to icing, on Harfa Bank near Osmotherly about 6 miles north-east of Northallerton. Four of the crew are buried at Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, the pilot was buried at Stone Cemetery in Staffs, the wireless operator at Birmingham (Yardley) Cemetery and the rear gunner at Bridgend Cemetery in Wales.
Yep - and Dennis Holyoak is the only crew member not in this pic for some reason...
 
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