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Personal info

Full name
HOLM, Wayne Leroy
Date of birth
12 October 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Holdredge, Phelps County, Nebraska
Hometown
Multnomah County, Oregon

Military service

Service number
O-774157
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
405th Fighter Squadron,
371st Fighter Group
Awards
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
2 January 1945
Place of death
Near Kaiserslautern, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
Plot Row Grave
D 7 14

Immediate family

Members
Melvin C. Holm (father)
Millie A. (Lind) Holm (mother)
Eldora M. Holm (sister)
Theone J. Holm (twin sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-28886
Data
Type: P-47D-28
Destination: East of Saarbrucken, Germany Mission: Strafing Trains
MACR: 11599

More information

2nd Lt Wayne L. Holm joined the Regular Army in Portland, Oregon, on 7 November 1942.

2nd Lt Charles B. Meyer:
"We were circling over our bombing area somewhere east of Saarbrücken about 0945 hours. I and Lt. Holm were discharge Yellow tree and Four respectively. We had finished our bombing and one of the flights was strafing trains about the time the bandits were called in southeast of our area. Discharge Squadron immediately began climbing for altitude, as we were at about nine thousand feet. ME-109s coming in at 9 o’clock. Because soon the bandit was on Lt. Holm’s tail, and I on the Me 109s tail. Lt. Holm straightened out and began diving. I observed the 109 getting a few strikes on Lt. Holm’s plane, and I in turn was getting strikes on the 109. Soon I saw parts of the 109 coming off and smoke. There was a plane attempting to get on my tail, so being sure of the kill, I broke off. After breaking on the left, I observed a plane on fire slowly heading in a diving turn earthward. I felt sure that it was the Me 109. After breaking off, I saw no more of Lt. Holm, and could not contact him on the RT."\

He is remembered at the Rose City Cemetery in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Astrid van Erp, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Anton Peterson Family Tree, www.fold3.com
Photo source: www.findagrave.com – Julie Linn Sims