The highly-awarded Dennis Holland, also known as Doug, who flew Wellington Bombers in World War II, was 90 when he passed.

Mr Holland flew Wellington Bombers, mainly on anti-shipping patrols after joining the 458 Squadron.

He was based on the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy and spent time in Egypt, Jerusalem in the Middle East, Almaza, Corsica and Algiers in North Africa.

Mr Holland told the story when on August 14, 1944 access to the airport was denied due to heavy fog.

After circling for some time hoping the fog would lift, and then running low on fuel, they were ordered to bail out over enemy territory.

"We disobeyed orders and decided to land the plane at sea," he would say.

Mr Holland's group received an award for surviving the crash and became members of the "Goldfish Club", which was an award for ditching a plane at sea and surviving through use of a rubber dingy.

Mr Holland's family said that he attended the RAAF Flying School at Temora until late 1943 where he trained in a Tiger Moth, single-engine bi-plane and the AVRO Anson twin-engined aircraft.

From there he trained in Canada at MacLeod Airbase, Alberta, then England, then Italy, where he continued training in Anson and Oxford Bomber aircraft.

While he was in Canada, his father, Clarence Irving Holland, died at the age of 48, due indirectly to his service on the Western Front in WWI.

Mr Holland sadly, was unable to attend his father's funeral.

On November 23 1945, he was discharged from the RAAF.

The honours and awards he received included:

1939 - 45 Star, ItalyStar, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939 - 45, Australia Service Medal 1939 - 45, Returned from Active Service Badge.

Mr Holland returned to Wellington where he went jackarooing on Glenwood, before finally going back to Uungula. He used to enjoy riding horses, and would ride his work horses to Wellington from Glenwood to exercise them and play polo.

In 1949 Mr Holland married Betty Taylor from Walmer. As well as having a family, they worked hard through rabbit plagues, drought, flood and fire, to more than double the size of Uungula.

"He had a very positive attitude which was not only reserved for his family. He could always see the silver lining in any cloud. If someone had the slightest amount of good in them, he would find it," son John said.

"The family would like to thank Dr Ian Spencer and co-workers for their many years of care, Ross Godfrey for his Pastoral Care, Wellington Home Services, Meals on Wheels, Baptist Home Care, Maranatha and Garden Village Port Macquarie for their excellent care.

Mr Holland's family will celebrate and give thanks for his life in a Memorial Service at St Andrew's Uniting Church, Wellington at 10am on Friday August 22, 2014