William Holmes (British Army officer)
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Lieutenant-General Sir William George Holmes KBE CB DSO (1892–1969) was a British general of the Second World War.
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[edit] Early life
Holmes was educated at Gresham's School, Holt[1] , and the Royal Military Academy.
[edit] 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].
[edit] 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]
[edit] 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]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Speech Days: A New Tradition At Gresham's in The Times, Monday, June 27, 1938, page 20
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Who's Who 1969 (A. & C. Black, London, 1969)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lieutenant-General Sir William George Holmes at generals.dk (accessed 21 August 2007)
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