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Sergeant Thomas William Holmes

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PERSONAL INFORMATION

Date of birth: 1898-10-14
Place of birth: Montreal Quebec Canada
Next of kin: Mrs. E.M. Holmes 380 9th St. East Owen Sound, Ontario
Marital status: single
Occupation (attested): Chicken Picker
Occupation (normalized): Other Butchers and Meat Preparers
Address: 380 9th St. East Owen Sound, Ontario
Religion: Other - See Notes
Date of death: 1950-01-04

MILITARY INFORMATION

Regimental number: 838301
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Rank detail
  1. Private (Army). 1917-02-07 ?
  2. Sergeant (Army). 1917-02-07 to 1919-04-11
  3. Private (Army). 1915-12-20 to 1917-02-07
Degree of service: Europe
Survived war: yes
Battle wounded/killed: 11-04-27 Vimy Ridge
Commemoration location: The Tommy Holmes Memorial Armoury
Awards

Victoria Cross (Passchendaele, Belgium)
Description: When the right flank of our own attack was held up by machine gun fire from the pill box, producing heavy casualties, Holmes on his own initiative, and single-handed, ran forward and threw bombs, killing or wounding the crews of two machine guns, then returned, secured another bomb, and again rushed forward alone and threw a bomb into the pill box entrance, causing nineteen occupants to surrender.
Date of award: 1917-10-26
Comment: Tommy Holmes lied about his age listing his date of birth as the 17 Aug 1897.  Given his actual date of birth (14 Oct 1898) Tommy Holmes was the youngest Canadian winner of the Victoria Cross at that time.
Notes: Owen Sound Branch, Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #6

RESEARCH INFORMATION

LAC ID: 457701
Attestation record(s): image 1, image 2
Service file: B4464-S025
Uploader's Notes:

Religion: Salvation Army

Date of birth on attestation papers was August 17, 1897.

Youngest Canadian winner of the Victoria Cross. Won VC as a private.

Wikipedia entry

Uploader's Research notes: [Private Army Canadian Infantry 147th Battalion Private Army Canadian Mounted Rifles 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion Acting Sergeant Army Canadian Mounted Rifles 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion Victoria Cross Passchendaele, Belgium

When the right flank of our own attack was held up by machine gun fire from the pill box, producing heavy casualties, Holmes on his own initiative, and single-handed, ran forward and threw bombs, killing or wounding the crews of two machine guns, then returned, secured another bomb, and again rushed forward alone and threw a bomb into the pill box entrance, causing nineteen occupants to surrender.

Tommy Holmes lied about his age listing his date of birth as the 17 Aug 1897. Given his actual date of birth (14 Oct 1898) Tommy Holmes was the youngest Canadian winner of the Victoria Cross at that time.

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ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Date added: 2007-05-09
Last modified: 2011-05-15