Frederick William Holmes was born at 23 Abbey Street in Bermondsey on 27th September 1889, he was the son of T. G. Holmes and one of seven siblings, he was baptised at the nearby St. Mary Magdelen Church.
Soon after arriving in France with the British Expeditionary Force, Holmes was involved in fighting at Le Cateau. After extremely hazardous fighting in the morning and afternoon of the 26th August 1914 in France, the order to retire was given by General Smith-Dorien. Not all the units received this order but A Company did. To carry out the retirement, however, was a very dangerous business as each man had to run across the zone of land to safety under close fire of the enemy. When it came for Holmes’ turn to escape, he noticed Bugler Norman Woodcock lying close to the path with both of his legs broken at the knees. Without considering his own safety, Holmes picked up the injured Woodcock and giving him a fireman’s lift made off as quickly as he could.
Holmes carried the 12 stone man on his back until he finally came across some stretcher bearers in a small village about two miles from the trenches and handed over Woodcock to them.
His Citation reads:- 25th November 1914. Le Cateau, France, 26th August 1914, No 9376 Lance Corporal Frederick Holmes, 2nd Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. “Carried a wounded man out of the trenches under heavy fire, and later assisted to drive a gun out of action by taking the place of a driver who had been wounded”. Holmes was to become one of the earliest recipients of the Victoria Cross in the First World War.
Frederick Holmes was initiated into the Order in the Trinity Lodge 1047 while stationed in Hull.
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