| Sir William Holmes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1892 |
| Died | 1969 (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 (1892–1969) was a British general of the Second World War.
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Holmes was educated at Gresham's School, Holt,[1] and the Royal Military Academy.
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]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New Post |
GOC, X Corps 1940–1942 |
Succeeded by Herbert Lumsden |