HOLMES, George

✟ ß Щ  2/Lt. 1 & 3 Bn East Yorks Regt.  K.I.A. 9/4/1917 age 21. Having breached the Hindenburg Line he was struck by a shell and died instantaneously at the Battle of Scarpe, near Arras. Grave; Wancourt British Cemetery, France, ref; 8-A-7, gravestone engraved; ‘HE IS NOT DEAD SUCH SPIRITS NEVER DIE’

Cross in Hathersage Church

His original war grave wooden cross hangs in Hathersage Parish Church. b 1896, a native of Meersbrook Park, he was educated at King Edwards VII School, Sheffield, where he was Head Prefect 1913-1914, and had been the goalkeeper and wicket keeper in both the schools XI’s. He took up his Classical Exhibition at Magdalen College, Oxford, for a term in 1914, before deciding he ought to volunteer for the army. Son of Robert Wilson Holmes & Annie of ‘Ivylea’ Roslyn Crescent, Hathersage.  (His mother was actually called; Sister Annie Holmes). He also lived at ‘Waysend’ Cannon Fields.  A relative was Miss J Haigh, Hoyland, Barnsley.  The family farm was at The Gate House, Upper Hurst, for a number of years. There is a photo of him p 28 of WHW2W.

HOLMES, Edward Allen

Lt. 4 Bn Y & L. A bank staff record card shows that he joined the army on 2/8/1915 and was demobilised on 6/2/1919. He was a POW in Karlsruhe, Germany from 14/4/1918, and got back to England at the beginning of that December. b 29/4/1880  Heanor, Derbyshire. Edward Allen Holmes worked for Parr’s Bank which eventually became National Westminster Bank (NatWest).  The first ‘bank’ men to make it home were those who had been prisoners of war or internees. Many of them were back in Britain by December 1918 or early January 1919, not yet officially demobilised, but on leave. Some were in very poor health and needed time to recuperate, but others were anxious to resume normal life as soon as possible. E. A. Holmes of Hathersage branch was one. Although suffering from occasional headaches, his health was good, and by the end of the month he was helping out at the branch, assisting with the very busy six-monthly balance.

From the Royal Bank of Scotland archives (31/3/2015);- EA Holmes was born in Heanor, Derbyshire on 29 April 1880 and entered the service of Crompton & Evans’ Union Bank on 1 March 1897 at the Chesterfield branch. In March 1901 he moved to the Sandiacre branch. He was still there in December 1913. In 1914 Crompton & Evans’ Union Bank was acquired by Parr’s and he appears to have gone to work at Hathersage branch (a branch that had been part of the Crompton & Evans’ network). He is listed in Parr’s staff registers  at Hathersage branch for the full years of 1914-1916 and again from 1919-1922, Parr’s staff registers show that he moved on to Sutton-in-Ashfield branch on 15 May 1922 where he was chief clerk, until June 1923, when he became Manager of Hathersage branch. He continued in this post until October 1937 when he retired (age 57). Kelly’s Directory of 1925 and 1932 shows he lived at Bank House above the Westminster Bank.

(In 1918 Parr’s Bank was acquired by London County & Westminster Bank, and adopted the improbable name London County Westminster & Parr’s Bank. Unsurprisingly, in 1923 the name was shortened to Westminster Bank). The Hathersage branch closed down on 3/9/2015.

HOLMES, Charles Ronksley

ß ă Щ  23200 Pte 1/5 D.L.I. (DC 4/9/1917 & 13/11/1917; reported injured).  b 1894 Hathersage. 1911C living at Church Road, Hathersage, a hackle pin scourer. 1919 absent voters address is School Lane (the same as Church Road). Father, Walter (b1857 Hathersage), mother was Selina Ronksley (b 1864 Hathersage), but no direct relation to Leonard Ronksley below.

HOLMES, Bernard

ă 40903 Pte Prince of Wales Own West Yorks. Bandsman 99 West Yorks.  b 1895 Hathersage. 1911C living at The Dale, Hathersage, a nursery man’s assistant. Parents; Jarvis and Margaret Elizabeth. His sister Collette married Maurice Townsend (see below). Died 1/7/1949 and buried Hathersage. His wife Esther died 11/7/1969 age 72. His brother James Harold, married the daughter of Ernest Whitmore.

HOGG, Clark

Driver Bdr L/5617 RFA, Pte Army Ordinance Corps S/9510. b 1879 Horsforth. 1911C in Horsforth a railway clerk. Three out of seven of his children listed as being born in Hathersage 1903-1906.

HODGKINSON, George Cedric

✟ Щ  Lt Yorks Regt., attached to ‘B’ Coy 8 Bn Y & L Regt. Volunteered in 1914. Gazetted 2/Lt May 1915. Wounded 1/7/1916 and died at Heilly, Nr Amiens, 4/7/1916 age 20. Grave; Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt l’Abbé, France. (SDT 10/7/1916 p7 Lt GC Hodgkinson Y & L of Rotherham, dies of wounds). See his article in WHW2W p 22.

Cross in Hathersage Church

The wooden cross from his grave in France now hangs in the Parish Church. He also appears on another memorial somewhere according to the inscription on Hathersage War Memorial.  b 1895 Rotherham.

One of six children, Vera, Enid, Monica, Geoffrey and one who died while still at school. Parents; Reginald Edward Hodgkinson JP & Margaret Jane. Educated at Clifton College, played 1st XI Cricket there in 1914.  He lived at Hazelford Hall and his family later lived at Moorseats, Hathersage.