Ray Holmes (1915 – 27 June 2005) was a British fighter pilot who was feted as a war hero who saved Buckingham Palace from being severely damaged by German bombing during the Battle of Britain. 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Fighter has a number of meanings: A fighter aircraft is a warplane designed to destroy other warplanes in combat. ... The word pilot has several meanings: In shipping, a pilot is someone who guides ships through the waters near a harbour, or especially narrow or otherwise dangerous coastal waters. ... This list of notable war heroes does not make judgements about what constitutes true heroism, but rather acknowledges the fact that the term is normally used to designate anyone serving a miltary role in time of hostilities, who is treated as an outstanding example of honorable service by their chain... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria memorial. ... A major campaign of World War II, the Battle of Britain is the name for the attempt by Germanys Luftwaffe to gain air superiority of British airspace and destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF). ...

On September 15, 1940, he was on duty in a Hurricane fighter when he spotted a Dornier bomber making a run for the palace. Out of ammunition, Holmes decided to ram the bomber hoping his plane could withstand the impact and cut through it. It proved not to be the case, but he caused the bomber to crash and he bailed out safely. September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ...

He continued fly for the RAF including duties like training Russians in combat flying and reconnaisance. RAF is an abbreviation for: Royal Air Force -- the Air Force of the United Kingdom (see also Air Ministry) Red Army Fraction (Rote Armee Fraktion) -- a German terror organisation Rigas Autobusu Fabrika -- a factory making buses in Riga, Latvia Rapid Action Force in India Rachunarski Fakultet RAF is also an...

After the war, he was a King's Messenger personally delivering mail to Winston Churchill and later a journalist. The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, FRS (30 November 1874–24 January 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... A journalist is a person who practices journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues and people. ...

Holmes died on 27 June 2005 at the age of 90, after a two-year battle with cancer. June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...