263562 Peter Holmes British Army 24th (Sportsmans) Btn. Royal Fusiliers from:2 Groveland Avenue, Hoylake, Wirral, Cheshire. Peter Holmes was married to Florence (nee Armstrong).
At the time of his enlistment in Liverpool (January 1915) he was 36 years old. Height: 5'8", weight: 12st 2lbs, good physical condition, except for defective teeth.
The 24th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers spent the next 11 months training in Nottingham and then on Salisbury Plain, before moving to France in November of 1915 as part of the 99th Brigade, 33rd Division.
The spring of 1916 saw Peter involved on localised operations. When the Battle of the Somme opened Peter and his Battalion were enjoying a period of rest and re-fit. However, this didn't prevent Peter from being injured in action and having to leave the line to recover.
Peter subsequently returned to the regiment and took part in the Battle of Ancre, only to be wounded on the first day.
This necessitated him leaving from the line for a month, before re-joining his Regiment in the area of Festubert, where he was under constant threat from artillery and sniper fire.
In 1918 he joined the Labour Corps serving in an Area Employment Company.
He was appointed Acting Sgt 7th of March 1919 and returned to England to be demobilised on the 12th May 1919, with no disability.
Peter died in the 1945 in Chester Royal Infirmary, Chester. He was my 1st Cousin 2 x removed.
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