| Sir William Holmes | |
|---|---|
 Lt. General W. G. Holmes, GOC 9th Army, stands on a Sherman II tank of the Wiltshire Yeomanry, 5 April 1943 | |
| Born | 1892 |
| Died | 1969 (aged 76–77) (aged 76 or 77) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Army |
| Years of service | 1911 - 1945 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | Royal Welch Fusiliers |
| Commands held |
2nd Bn The East Lancashire Regiment British 8th Infantry Brigade 42nd Infantry Division X Corps British Troops Egypt Ninth Army |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Second World War |
| Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order & Bar |
Lieutenant-General Sir William George Holmes KBE CB DSO and Bar (1892–1969) was a British general of the Second World War.
Early life[]
Holmes was educated at Gresham's School, Holt,[1] and the Royal Military Academy.
Army service[]
First Commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1911,[2] Holmes served throughout the Great War, during which he was mentioned in despatches four times and received the DSO and bar, and the Italian silver medal for valour.[2] In 1921 he served in Waziristan.[2] In 1933 he was commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment.[2] After a general staff position in the Northern Command from 1934 to 1935,[2] Holmes was given command of the British 8th Infantry Brigade.[2] In 1937, he became the British Army's youngest Major General,[1] and in 1938 got his first divisional command, of the Territorial Army 42nd Infantry Division.[2] Holmes commanded the 42nd Division in France in 1940 with the British Expeditionary Force.[2] After the fall of France and the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk Holmes was given command of the newly formed X Corps in Syria and North Africa.[3] From 1941 to 1942 he was General Officer Commanding British Troops Egypt,[3] before becoming General-Director of Transportation at the War Office. Holmes's last command was the Ninth Army, based in Palestine and Transjordan, a command he held until his retirement in 1945.[3]
Career summary[]
- 1911: Commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers[2]
- 1914-1918: Served in the Great War[2]
- 1921: Served Waziristan[2]
- 1933: Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment[2][3]
- 1933: Promoted Colonel[2]
- 1934-1935: General Staff Officer, 1st Grade, Northern Command[2]
- 1935-1937: Commanding Officer, British 8th Infantry Brigade[2][3]
- 1937: Promoted Major-General, 1937[2]
- 1938-1940: General Officer Commanding 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, France[2][3]
- 1940: Promoted Lieutenant-General[2]
- 1940-1941: General Officer Commanding X Corps, Syria-North Africa[3]
- 1941-1942: General Officer Commanding British Troops Egypt[3]
- 1942: General Officer Commanding X Corps, North Africa[3]
- 1942-1943: Director-General of Transportation, War Office[3]
- 1943-1945: General Officer Commanding 9th Army, Palestine[3]
- 1945: Retired[2][3]
Honours[]
- 1917: Distinguished Service Order[2]
- 1918: Silver Medal of Military Valour (Italy)[2]
- 1938: Companion of the Order of the Bath[2]
- 1944: Order of the Phoenix, Class II (Greece)[2]
- 1944: Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire[2]
- 1945: Order of Polonia Restituta, Class II (Poland)[2]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Speech Days: A New Tradition At Gresham's in The Times, Monday, 27 June 1938, page 20
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 Who's Who 1969 (A. & C. Black, London, 1969)
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Lieutenant-General Sir William George Holmes at generals.dk (accessed 21 August 2007)
The original article can be found at William Holmes (British Army officer) and the edit history here.