Francis Richard Holmes (1895-1921)
An ongoing project to commemorate and research the lives of those who appear on war memorials and rolls of honour in the local area, who served in the military, or whose deaths were linked to conflict.
Biography
Francis Richard Holmes was born in the Bermondsey area of London, the son of blacksmith James Alfred Holmes and his wife Mary Ellen.
In 1901, the family was living in Bromley, Kent. By 1911, they were living at 46 Churchfield Road, Beckenham, Kent, and 16-year-old Francis was working as an errand boy.
It's uncertain if Francis had links to the Huddersfield area as his service record implies he enlisted with the Navy in 1912 and was still an arrange boy at the time. He served in the Battle of Jutland (1916).
Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922
The following extract is from Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922 (2014) by J. Margaret Stansfield:
- HOLMES, FRANCIS RICHARD. Petty Officer. No J/16086. Royal Navy. HMS Victory. Born Huddersfield 1895. Lived 'The Ferns', Grimscar, Huddersfield. Married. Killed in an accidental fall at Culver Cliffe, near Sandown on 4.6.1921.
Links
- Imperial War Museums: Lives of the First World War (ID #6297454)