Holmes| Philip
Biography
Philip Holmes was killed in action on 17 October 1944 in the vicinity of Overloon. He was a Gunner in the 7 Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery (Service No. 3955627). He was initially buried on land owned by Marte Willems, near the premises of A . Bloemen, Helder, Overloon and re-interred on 29 May 1947 in grave IV. D. 4 in the Overloon CWG Cemetery. The inscription on his grave reads “Forever in our hearts and thoughts. My beloved husband. A beloved Daddy.”
Military Career
It is understood from family that Philip overstated his age by 2 years to join the Army, suggesting he probably joined up in the late 1920s. The only photo of him shows him in the uniform of the Welch Regiment and it was thought to have been taken around 1930. In 1938 and 1939 he was no longer in active service so may have been in the reserves. He will have been called up again in WW2. He was transferred to the Royal Welch Fusiliers on 7 July 1942 and then to the Royal Artillery on 27 November 1942.
This Regiment served the whole of the war with the 3rd Infantry Division. The Division had been sent to France in September 1939 but had to be evacuated in May 1940 from Dunkirk.
They were the first British formation to land at Sword Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, as part of the invasion of Normandy. After D-Day the 3rd Infantry Division fought through the Battle for Caen, in Operation Charnwood and Operation Goodwood in June to August 1944. Philip was wounded on 25/6/1944. This was presumably during the Battle for Caen. However, he must have later rejoined his regiment.
From 5 to 16 September 1944, the Regiment was based at Les Andelys in France, having just crossed the Seine. They were able to train and relax after their first taste of attack and in preparation for the challenges to come. Some were able to make a trip to Paris while others visited Rouen, with the War Diary stating that “There is no record of their doings but they had evidently enjoyed themselves.”
On 17 September they entered Belgium and were based to the east of Mons. It was reported that “the civilians in Belgium are in great form” and that “The Lt. QM, a married man, stated that he had never been kissed so much in his life.” It was not all fun however as it was also recorded that they spent the night without cover in most unpleasant rain. On the 18th they assisted the 9th Brigade in crossing the Escaut Canal. The War Diary records: “This is the first time we have fired the 25 pounders. It is good to be doing the job we were intended to do instead of training in the back areas”. They remained near this area until 24 September, with a comment being made that: “This is an unpleasant area, the farms are very poor and the inhabitants very hungry.”
On the 24th they moved into the Netherlands at Someren (east of Eindhoven) to enable them to fire in defence of the Asten bridgehead which the US 11th Armoured Division had established. At this point their HQ and Observation Post parties were shelled heavily which they had not experienced since mid August. The enemy had retreated east of Meijel and the regiment stayed roughly in this area, supporting troops as necessary, but with it being generally quiet.
On 1 October, the Regiment moved up across the Maas to an area south of Malden, just south of Nijmegen. They remained in this area until 9 October. There was little fighting and the Regiment was harassing the enemy, but they were also getting shelled. Two Officers and four Other Ranks were wounded and two Other Ranks killed in this period.
On 9 October the Regiment moved to a position south of the village of Oploo. The War Diary comments that they were: “surrounded by the biggest concentration of artillery we have seen since the early days in France”. However, it was also stated that: “This area is most unpopular, the ground is sodden and most of the slit trenches are filled with water.” They had little firing to do until 12 October when they fired in support of the 8th Brigade whose goal was to capture and consolidate Overloon. In the process, 3 Other Ranks of the artillery regiment were wounded.
From the 13th, the aim was for the Regiment to continue to support the 9th and 185th Brigades to move south to take Venray, one from the north and the other more from the west. On the 13th and 14th progress was not as good as hoped as the Brigades had difficulty crossing a water filled ditch called the Molenbeek. Two enemy observation posts on Venray Church and a tower at Maashees to the east resulted in enemy fire also slowing progress. On the 15th the Regiment moved to a position just west of Overloon between a brick factory and the Oploo to Overloon Road in preparation for a further attack on the 16th with the aim of crossing the Molenbeek during the early morning hours of darkness. This was successfully achieved despite bad weather and the area being thickly sown with mines. Both Brigades were making progress towards Venray by the end of the day. One Officer of the Regiment and two Other Ranks were wounded. The battle for Venray continued on the 17th with the Brigades making further progress, though they didn’t succeed in their objective of reaching a Monastery south east of Venray that day. Three Other Ranks of the artillery regiment were killed that day, including Philip Holmes. The others were fellow Gunners Jack Ferris and Joseph Wade. The battle for Venray was won the following day and the regiment was allowed a rest period from 20 to 24 October.
The three men were initially buried just outside Overloon where they had been based on the 15th. This was between Heldersweg and Merseloseweg on land owned by Marte Willems, near the premises of A. Bloemen. On 29 May 1946 they were re-interred side by side at the Overloon Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.
Family Background
Philip Holmes was the son of Philip and Mary Anne Holmes.
Philip Holmes (Snr) married Mary Anne Matthews in the Roman Catholic Chapel of Carrig on Bannow in the district of Bannow in County Wexford, Ireland on 18 September 1898. Philip (Snr) was a Sailor aged 34 while Mary Anne was a Domestic Servant aged 21. Both were living in Danescastle which is in Bannow district. Both their fathers were deceased at that time.
Philip Holmes (Jnr) was born on 3 July 1910 at Ballygow, again in the district of Bannow, though it is thought that he stated he was born in 1908 when he joined up. He had a sister, Mary Josephine (Joe) Holmes born 30/4/1901 and a brother John Thomas Holmes born 2/5/1906, both in Danescastle. Another child, Catherine, was born in Danescastle on 20/3/1904 but died on 28/1/1905.
In 1901 Mary Anne (born 1878 in Co. Wexford) was living in Bannow, Co. Wexford, with her widowed mother, Mary Matthews (born 1851 in Wexford) and her married sister Johanna Casey born 1876 in Wexford and her two children Mary and Anne Casey, born 1895 and 1897 in Wexford. In 1911 Mary Anne was living at Danescastle, Bannow. With her were all three surviving children. She was described as married but her husband was not present. As he was a Sailor, he was likely to have been away from home at the time.
It is understood from family that the family moved to England not long after Philip was born. His father must have died as his mother married James Riley, possibly in 1914 in the Prescot district of Lancashire. By 1921 Mary Ann and James Riley (born 1882 in Glamorganshire) were living at 9, Greenfield Street, Maesteg, Cwmdu, Glamorganshire. This is just north of Bridgend. Philip was living with them and his brother John, aged 15, was lodging nearby at 19, Greenfield Street in the household of William Gilbert and Ellen King and their five children. John was working as a Coal Hewer at Baldwin’s Tytalwyn Colliery.
As previously indicated, it is thought that Philip joined the army at a very young age. It is understood that Philip’s brother John also joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers at some point and served in India.
On 4/4/1938 Philip married Bertha Wilkin in Hammersmith, London. At that time, he was described as a General Labourer. He was 28 and living at 4 Dale Street, Chiswick. Bertha was 20 and living at 22 Redmore road, Hammersmith. Philip’s father was described as a Second Mate in the Merchant Service but was deceased. Bertha’s father was shown as George Wilkin, a Baker’s Labourer.
Bertha was the daughter of George Wilkin and Amy Dickinson who had married in Fulham in 1903. George was born in 1880/3 in Islington and Amy in 1878/82 in Bow, London. They had children as follows: Ellen Ivy 1904, William George 1906, Charles Alfred 1911, Douglas J 1913, Bertha 19/7/1917.
In 1911 George and Amy were living in 46 Overstone Road, Hammersmith with their first three children. George was working as a Horsekeeper for a Carrier. They had moved from 12 Church Road, Hammersmith where Ellen was born in 1905 to Perrins Road, Hammersmith by the time of William George’s birth in 1906 then to Overstone Road by 1911. Sadly, William George Wilkin died in 1918 in Hammersmith, aged just 12.
By 1921 George and Amy were living at 22, Redmore Road, Hammersmith with their remaining four children, including Bertha. George was still working as a Horse Keeper for Chibbnels Bakeries. Ellen was working in a Tea Sales Room for J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. at their headquarters at Cadby Hall, Hammersmith.
After their marriage, in September 1939, Philip and Bertha Holmes were living 53 Weltje Road, Hammersmith. Philip was working in a Hard Chromium Depot. They had three children as follows, all in Hammersmith: Cynthia 1940, Raymond Philip 1941 and Zena 1942.
Sadly, Philip died on 17/10/1944 in Overloon.
Letter from Reverend Sprent
Bertha received a letter from the Reverend Philip S. Sprent written on 1 November 1944. He was the Padre for the 33rdField Regiment of the Royal Artillery. It read as follows:
“Dear Mrs Holmes
You will have heard by now of the death in action of your husband, and I write as Padre of the Regiment to send you my deepest sympathy in this grievous loss, and I know all the 7th , and especially all in 16 Battery join me in this.
He was killed instantly by a German shell on Oct 17th and I buried him on the 18th with his two companions – they were all three killed together. Their graves have been marked by white inscribed crosses – & the men put flowers on the graves.
I am so sorry – and pray you will be given strength & courage in your bereavement.
May all this sacrifice not be in vain.
Please write to me in acknowledgement of this brief note.
Yours very sincerely
Philip S Sprent.”
She was officially advised by the War Office on 9/3/1946 that he had been buried in a temporary grave and on 19/7/1947 that he had been re-interred at the Overloon British Cemetery.
Letters from Willems family
In April 1948 she was advised that Mr Marte Willems had adopted her husband’s grave and on 14/4/1948 he wrote the following letter to her:
“Dear Family
Just a few lines to let you know, that we have adopted the grave of your dear Gnr P. Holmes No 3955627 on the British Cemetery in our village.
He is killed in action on Oct, 17th 1944 and has been buried in our ground, later they are all brought together in one cemetery.
On our ground were buried three soldiers. They are all killed in action on the same day.
Our village is nearly all damaged,
We hope to hear from you soon and then we will write to you again.
We wish you all the best.
Yours Sincerely, Mr M. Willems, C121, Overloon (Nederland)”
What Marte Willems did not mention was that his own son, Arnold Willems, had been killed in May 1940 when the Germans came over the River Maas.
Marte Willems wrote another letter as follows on 12/10/1948 in reply to one from Mrs Holmes:
“Dear Mrs Holmes,
We thank you very much for the letter we received from you. Everything is all right in our family and we hope the same of you.
Will you please excuse us, that we have waited such a long time in writing you, as we had a very busy time of harvest works. We had to get your letter translated and our own Dutch letter written in your language. This takes a lot of time.
Dear Mrs Holmes, without doubt, your thoughts in these days of October are going to Overloon, when your dear husband has found his last resting place.
On the 14th of October we shall remember of the liberation of Overloon, in which your husband also played a great part. A remembrance of the dead will be held as a grateful duty towards our still friends, who gave their lives.
Enclosed, you will find a photograph of your husband’s grave as he rests now on the cemetery, which is being looked after very well. Many Englishmen visited already the graves of their beloved dead. You could certainly make, one day, the journey to Holland if you want; you will be made very welcome!
Dear Mrs Holmes, we finish now and wish you all the best and much happiness, also for your children.
The kind greetings from the Family of Willems, Overloon.”
Letter from Arthur Wade
She also received an undated letter from Arthur Wade, the brother of Joseph Wade who was one of the men killed and buried alongside Philip:
“From AB Wade, C/SSX 841071, 3 Mess, HMS Gabbard, c/o GPO, London
Dear Mrs Holmes,
As you see I am in the Navy and we are now in Amsterdam, Holland. While we have been here I have had two days leave to visit my brother’s grave in Overloon. My Brother Joe your husband & a soldier from Bristol “Ferris” are all buried together.
The cemetery is very well looked after and every grave has flowers the grass verge around them is cut short and each and every grave is well cared for.
I stayed with the family of Willems and they are very nice people only can’t speak English & I had trouble making myself understood. I can’t explain much in my letter about my visit but I have been thinking of calling at your home and explaining to you. I go on 14 days leave on the 25th of this month and we don’t arrive back in England until Thursday, so I will try to come to London before I go on leave if not I will call on you as soon as I can. While I was in Overloon I visited the graves 3 times & put flowers on behalf of all our families & said a prayer it was as much as I could do. I thanked the Willems for everything they are really grand people. There isn’t really much more I can say only I hope this finds you keeping in the best of health as it leaves me at the present.
Cheerio for now and all the best, Arthur Wade
P.S. I will try to come to London Saturday before leave
P.P.S. The Willems send their kindest regards to you & hope you are keeping well. “
Bertha went on to marry Bernard Butler in 1954 in Harrow, Middlesex. After their marriage they lived at 5 Hawkins Close, Harrow, Middlesex. They had no children of their own.
Philip’s mother, Mary Ann Riley, died in Slough in 1959 where she had moved to live with her son, John Holmes, after her husband died.
Philip’s son, Raymond Holmes, went on to serve for 22 years in the Royal Artillery, 27 Regiment. He was a Gunner and came out as a Staff Sargeant, serving in the MCTC at Colchester.
It seems that Bertha visited Philip’s grave, possibly in 1963. The family have many photos of that visit. At that time, she was still living at 5 Hawkins Close, Hammersmith, London. Other family members have also visited, including his son Raymond both shortly after he had also joined the Army and again with his wife in 2018, a year before he died.
Bertha Butler died in Harrow in 1992.
Family photo’s
Letters and newspaper article
