William Holmes (British Army officer)

Lieutenant-General Sir William George Holmes KBE CB DSO and Bar (1892–1969) was a British general of the Second World War.

Early life
Holmes was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and the Royal Military Academy.

Army service
First Commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1911, 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. In 1921 he served in Waziristan.

In 1933 he was commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment. After a general staff position in the Northern Command from 1934 to 1935, Holmes was given command of the British 8th Infantry Brigade. In 1937, he became the British Army's youngest Major General, and in 1938 got his first divisional command, of the Territorial Army 42nd Infantry Division. Holmes commanded the 42nd Division in France in 1940 with the British Expeditionary Force.

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. From 1941 to 1942 he was General Officer Commanding British Troops Egypt, 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.

Career summary

 * 1911: Commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers
 * 1914-1918: Served in the Great War
 * 1921: Served Waziristan
 * 1933: Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment
 * 1933: Promoted Colonel
 * 1934-1935: General Staff Officer, 1st Grade, Northern Command
 * 1935-1937: Commanding Officer, British 8th Infantry Brigade
 * 1937: Promoted Major-General, 1937
 * 1938-1940: General Officer Commanding 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, France
 * 1940: Promoted Lieutenant-General
 * 1940-1941: General Officer Commanding X Corps, Syria-North Africa
 * 1941-1942: General Officer Commanding British Troops Egypt
 * 1942: General Officer Commanding X Corps, North Africa
 * 1942-1943: Director-General of Transportation, War Office
 * 1943-1945: General Officer Commanding 9th Army, Palestine
 * 1945: Retired

Honours

 * 1917: Distinguished Service Order
 * 1918: Silver Medal of Military Valour (Italy)
 * 1938: Companion of the Order of the Bath
 * 1944: Order of the Phoenix, Class II (Greece)
 * 1944: Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
 * 1945: Order of Polonia Restituta, Class II (Poland)