"William Holmes"

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SIR WILLIAM GEORGE HOLMES ( 1892–1969) WAS LIEUTENANT GENERAL OF THE BRITISH ARMY WHO COMMANDED THE NINTH ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II.

BIOGRAPHY

THE BEGINNING OF HIS WAY.
HOLMES WAS BORN IN 1892. IN 1911 HE JOINED THE BRITISH ARMY AND STUDIED AT THE ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY IN SOMERSET. HE WAS STATIONED IN THE COLONIZATION OF THE VULCAN KING, AND FOUGHT WITHIN HIM DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR. DURING THE WAR, HE RECEIVED FOUR SCHEQUES, AND WAS ENGAGED IN THE EXCELLENT SERVICE AND THE SILVER MEDAL FOR MILITARY BRAVERY FROM THE KINGDOM OF ITALY. IN 1921, HE TOOK PART IN THE SUPPRESSION OF A LOCAL REBELLION IN VENEZUELA. IN 1933, HE WAS APPOINTED COMMANDER OF THE 2ND BATTALION, WHICH WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE KHMERSHIRE EAST. IN 1934, HE WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF COLONEL AND PLACED AT THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE NORTHERN COMMAND. IN 1935 HE WAS APPOINTED COMMANDER OF THE 8TH BRIGADE, WHICH WAS PART OF THE 3RD DIVISION. IN 1937, HE WAS APPOINTED TO MAJOR GENERAL THE YOUNGEST IN THE BRITISH ARMY, IN 1938, HE RECEIVED COMMAND OF THE 42ND DIVISION (EAST OF LANCASTER).

WORLD WAR II AND AFTER

WITH THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II IN SEPTEMBER 1939, HOLMES WAS COMMANDER OF THE 42ND DIVISION, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE OF LORD GORT, AND FOUGHT DURING THE CAMPAIGN ON FRANCE AND THE LOW COUNTRIES IN 1940. FOLLOWING THE FALL OF FRANCE AND THE EVACUATION FROM PINKERK, HOLMES WAS RETURNED TO BRITAIN, AND IN JUNE OF THE SAME YEAR HE WAS APPOINTED LIEUTENANT GENERAL AND WAS APPOINTED COMMANDER OF THE 10TH CORPUS NOW ESTABLISHED IN SYRIA. HIS CORPUS WAS INCLUDED IN THE EIGHTH ARMY OF BERNARD MONTGOMERY, BUT HE DID NOT COMMAND HIM DURING THE BATTLES. AT THE SAME TIME AS THE COMMANDER OF THE 10TH CORPS IN NOVEMBER 1941, HE WAS APPOINTED COMMANDER OF THE EGYPTIAN COMMAND, WHO UNDERWENT ALL BRITISH COMMONWEALTH FORCES IN EGYPT. IN AUGUST 1942, HE TRANSFERRED THE COMMAND TO HARBERT TO MASDEN, AND WAS APPOINTED TO THE GENERAL INSPECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THE MINISTRY OF WAR. IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR HE WAS APPOINTED COMMANDER OF THE 9TH ARMY, WHICH PROTECTED THE LAND OF ISRAEL FROM THE JORDAN RIVER AND CYPRUS. HE COMMANDED THE ARMY UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN FEBRUARY 1945. HE DIED IN 1969.

EXTERNAL LINKS
WILLIAM HOLMES ON THE GENERALS OF WORLD WAR II

DECORATED WITH THE EXCELLENT SERVICE SIGNAL
BRITISH GENERALS IN WORLD WAR II
COMMANDERS IN THE BRITISH ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II
ARMENIAN COMMANDERS IN THE BRITISH ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II
BRITISH BORN IN 1892
BRITISH WHO DIED IN 1969