Pte 330854 William Lloyd Holmes

• Age: 36
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• D.O.W Thursday 2nd August 1917
• Commemorated at: Etaples Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: XXII.N.25

William Lloyd Holmes was born in 1880 in Liverpool and was the son of Daniel Tyson Holmes and his wife Ellen (née Lloyd). His parents married on the 9th August 1865 at Our Lady and St Nicholas' Church, Liverpool. Daniel Tyson was a carter of Hornby St, father John a brewer, whilst Ellen was also of Hornby St, father John a spinner. 

On the 1881 Census the family are living at 24 Gomer Street, Islington, His father, Daniel, is a 33 year old labourer, his mother, Ellen, is 34 years of age. They have five children in the household; John 16, Elizabeth 8, Daniel 6, Dorcas 2, William L. 3 months all were born in Liverpool.

Catherine appears on the 1891 Census living at 11 Pepper Street, Islington, Liverpool. The head of the household is widowed John O’Brien, a 46 year old insurance commission agent born in Ireland, his sister-in-law Maria O’Brien, aged 32, born in Ireland, and his niece Catherine, aged 12, a bookbinders apprentice, born in New York.  

William married Catherine O’Brien on Christmas Day 1899 at Our Lady and St Nicholas C. of E. Church, Liverpool.  William was a 19 year old labourer of 18 Worfield Street, his father, Daniel, a Corporation servant, whilst Catherine was also aged 19, same address, her father Maurice a deceased labourer. 

On the 1901 Census he is aged 26, a corporation labourer living at 1 Peover St, Islington. Only father Daniel 51, also a corporation labourer, and mother Ellen 46, are present.

His mother died in 1906, aged 51, and was buried on the 23rd May at Walton Park Cemetery.   

The 1911 Census shows William and his family living at 21 Stonewall Street, Everton, Liverpool. William is aged 30, and is a paviors labourer with the city engineers department. His wife Catherine is aged 30, born 1881 and was previously a resident of New York, USA. They have been married for eleven years and have had six children of which three had sadly died. The surviving children are Mary aged 4, born 1907, Lily aged 2 born 1909 and John born 1900.

Also on the 1911 census his father Daniel 63, is widowed and living with his married son John at 19 Peover Street.

Another son Henry was born in 1911.

William enlisted in Liverpool originally serving as Private 3057 of the 9th Battalion KLR. He reached France with the 9th Battalion on 12th March 1915.

The newspaper in 1917 states William served in South Africa. Records exist for a Pte 5783 William Holmes, 4th King’s Liverpool Regt, earning the Cape Colony and Transvaal clasps in 1901.

Following a transfer, he was serving in the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 330854 when he died of wounds at No.7 Canadian General Hospital, Etaples, on the 02nd August, 1917, aged 36. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Weekly Courier on Saturday 18 August 1917:

FALLEN HEROES.

Information has been received that Private Wm Holmes, aged 36, has died after being gassed and wounded. He served through South Africa and joined again as soon as war broke out. He leaves a widow and three children and resides at 54 Abbey Street, Everton. 

William now rests at Etaples Military Cemetery, France.

During the First World War, the area around Etaples was the scene of immense concentrations of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack, except from aircraft, and accessible by railway from both the northern or the southern battlefields. In 1917, 100,000 troops were camped among the sand dunes and the hospitals, which included eleven general, one stationary, four Red Cross hospitals and a convalescent depot, could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick. In September 1919, ten months after the Armistice, three hospitals and the Q.M.A.A.C. convalescent depot remained.

The cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, the earliest dating from May 1915. 35 of these burials are unidentified. It is the largest CWGC cemetery in France, and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

William was awarded three medals the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Soldiers Effects, War Gratuity of £12 10s and Pension of 26/3 pw to widow Catherine and children Mary, Lily and Henry.  
 
His father died in the March quarter of 1919 aged 73 and had sadly spent some time in the Liverpool Workhouse prior to his death. He was buried on the 24th March at Walton Park Cemetery.

His widow, Catherine, remarried to Thomas William Smith on the 07th March 1920 at Emmanuel Chapel, Everton. Widow, Thomas, was a 43 year old labourer of 21 Deacon Street, father William a deceased carter, whilst Catherine was aged 38, same address, father Maurice O’Brian (sic) a deceased labourer.

On the 1939 Register at 28 Friar Street, Everton, widow Catherine Smith, born 1879, is living with daughter Lily Holmes, date of birth 10th July 1908.  

We currently have no further information on William Lloyd Holmes, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.