William Edgar Holmes
Private, 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards
- Register No.
- 588 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Private all Privates →
- Unit
- 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards all Grenadier Guards VCs →
- Date of action
- 9 October 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Conflict / campaign
- First World War
- London Gazette
- 26th December 1918 on this day → all of 1918 →
- Born
- 26th June 1895 at Wood Stanway, Gloucestershire
- Died
- 9th October 1918 at Cattenieres, France
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- Carnieres (? Cattenieres) Communal Cemetery and Didbrook Church, Gloucestershire
- Medal held by
- the Grenadier Guards Regimental HQ
Digest of citation
On 9 October 1918 at Cattenieres, France, Private Holmes carried in two men undewr the most intense fire and while he was attending to a third case he was severely wounded. In spite of this he continued to carry he continued to carry in the casualties and was shortly afterwards mortally wounded. By his self sacrifice this man was the means of saving the lives of several of his comrades
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
HOLMES William Edgar. (Reg. No.588)
Private 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards.
London Gazetted on 26th December 1918.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Grenadier Guards Regimental HQ.
Born on 26th June 1895 at Wood Stanway, Gloucestershire Died on 9th October 1918 at Cattenieres, France Memorials at Carnieres (? Cattenieres) Communal Cemetery and Didbrook Church, Gloucestershire.
Digest of Citation reads: On 9 October 1918 at Cattenieres, France, Private Holmes carried in two men undewr the most intense fire and while he was attending to a third case he was severely wounded. In spite of this he continued to carry he continued to carry in the casualties and was shortly afterwards mortally wounded. By his self sacrifice this man was the means of saving the lives of several of his comrades.
Additional Information: He was the son Edward and Elizabeth Holmes. His father was a tree feller on the Stanway Estate and his mother was the daughter of Mr and Mrs Stanley. He was educated at Church Stanway and became a groom, on the estate, working alongside his father. He joined the Gloucester Regiment as a Private in July 1915 and was later transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards and went to serve in the European War (WW 1.)He was in the Retreat from Mons as well as the Battle of Ypres. He suffered from frost bite so badly that two of his toes had to be amputated. He returned to France in 1915 where he was twice wounded before the action at Cattieres where he was killed in action. His Commanding Officer wrote that it extremely gallant of him to carry on even though he was wounded. How it was unfortunate, that he only got another twenty yards. He went on to write how sad it was that a man who showed such a fine example, both in and out of the line, should be lost to the company. 2nd Lieutenant B.R.Osbourne wrote to Private Holmes' mother telling her that her son was acting as a stretcher bearer when he was hit in the throat while trying to get a wounded man back to safety. He added that he was one of the best man in his platoon, always cheerful and like by all. Two of his platoon also wrote, 'In your loss it will be a great comfort to you to know that Edgar Died on the bravest of deaths whilst trying to save a wounded comrade. His loss to us will be very great, as we have been close comrades for the last four years. He was always the life and soul of our platoon. We really cannot express the depths of our sympathy for you in your great bereavement, but we hope you will be able to seek consolation in the fact that he Died on a hero's death.
Additional information
He was the son Edward and Elizabeth Holmes His father was a tree feller on the Stanway Estate and his mother was the daughter of Mr and Mrs Stanley. He was educated at Church Stanway and became a groom, on the estate, working alongside his father. He joined the Gloucester Regiment as a Private in July 1915 and was later transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards and went to serve in the European War (WW 1.)He was in the Retreat from Mons as well as the Battle of Ypres. He suffered from frost bite so badly that two of his toes had to be amputated. He returned to France in 1915 where he was twice wounded before the action at Cattieres where he was killed in action. His Commanding Officer wrote that it extremely gallant of him to carry on even though he was wounded. How it was unfortunate, that he only got another twenty yards. He went on to write how sad it was that a man who showed such a fine example, both in and out of the line, should be lost to the company. 2nd Lieutenant B.R.Osbourne wrote to Private Holmes' mother telling her that her son was acting as a stretcher bearer when he was hit in the throat while trying to get a wounded man back to safety. He added that he was one of the best man in his platoon, always cheerful and like by all. Two of his platoon also wrote, 'In your loss it will be a great comfort to you to know that Edgar Died on the bravest of deaths whilst trying to save a wounded comrade. His loss to us will be very great, as we have been close comrades for the last four years. He was always the life and soul of our platoon. We really cannot express the depths of our sympathy for you in your great bereavement, but we hope you will be able to seek consolation in the fact that he Died on a hero's death.
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: Carnieres (? Cattenieres) Communal Cemetery and Didbrook Church, Gloucestershire
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