HOLMES, William
| Service Number: | Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1914, appointed Colonel and put in command of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. |
| Last Rank: | Major General |
| Last Unit: | 4th Division Headquarters |
| Born: | Paddington, New South Wales, Australia, 12 September 1862 |
| Home Town: | Mosman, Municipality of Mosman, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Paddington Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Chief Executive of NSW Metropolitan Board of Water Supply , Soldier |
| Died: | Killed In Action, France, 2 July 1917, aged 54 years |
| Cemetery: |
Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord Pas de Calais |
| Memorials: | Brighton-Le-Sands Major General William Holmes Memorial, Sydney Major General William Holmes Memorial Plaque, Sydney Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board WW1 Honour Roll |
Boer War Service
| 16 Apr 1901: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Apr 1901: | Honoured Companion of the Distinguished Service Order |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1914: | Enlisted Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Forces (New Guinea 1914), appointed Colonel and put in command of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force. | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Feb 1915: | Discharged Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Forces (New Guinea 1914), appointment terminated following his return to Australia. | |
| 16 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Officer, Sydney, New South Wales | |
| 12 May 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Colonel, 5th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 12 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Colonel, 5th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, HMAT Themistocles, Sydney | |
| 19 May 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Themistocles | |
| 20 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Colonel, in command of the 5th Infantry Brigade at it's landing at Gallipoli. | |
| 21 Aug 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, promoted to Brigadier General. | |
| 17 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, for France in command of the 5th Infantry Brigade. | |
| 3 Jun 1916: | Honoured Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George | |
| 1 Jan 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, promoted to Major General in command of the 4th Australian Division. | |
| 4 Jan 1917: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches | |
| 15 Feb 1917: | Involvement Major General, awarded Russian Order of St Anne, Second Class. | |
| 1 Jun 1917: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches | |
| 2 Jul 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Major General in command of the 4th Australian Division who was killed in action by artillery fire while escorting the Premier of NSW on a battlefield tour. At the time they were at Hill 63, near Ploegsteert, Wallonia, which overlooks Messines Ridge. | |
| 28 Dec 1917: | Honoured Mention in Dispatches | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Major General, 4th Division Headquarters |
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MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM HOLMES CMG DSO VD.
General Holmes had served in the South African War as a Captain and was awarded the DSO. At the Outbreak of WW1 he was appointed the first military administrator of German New Guinea, as well as commanding Australian forces in the area. He departed New Guinea on the 9th January 1915.
- Australian War Memorial 133441
He was later successively Commander 5th Brigade at Gallipoli and Commander 4th Division on the Western Front. Major General Holmes was killed soon after his greatest success, his division’s key part in victory at Messines, Belgium. This the AIF lost two Division Commanders killed on the Front Line (General Bridges at Gallipoli being the other)
Son: Captain Basil Holmes DSO, 17th Battalion AIF
Brother-in-law: Lieutenant Colonel Reginald John Travers SO & Bar, 4th Battalion AIF
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William Holmes was born on 12th September, 1862 in Sydney to William & Jane HOLMES
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal
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