Although the War Memorial shows 18 men from the First World War and 3 men from the second World War, who died during the wars, in many cases the connection to Holme has been very difficult to find. Sources used include http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Huntingdonshire/Holme.html, www.ancestry.co.uk/, local newspapers and Holme School log.
WORLD WAR ONE
ROBERT GEORGE BAKER
1898 – 1916
Robert was the eldest child of 6 children, of William and Emma Baker, who lived in the gardener’s cottage of Holmewood Hall. His father had moved from Norfolk to work for Squire Fielden as a gardener.
Robert was a private attached to 41st Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corp in Mesopotamia. He died on 22nd July 1916, aged 18 and is buried in the AMARA War Cemetery in Iraq. The cause of his death is not known as his records just state “died”.
Amara, now in Iraq, was a hospital centre for the campaigns in Mesopotamia. 1916 saw some major offences taking place in this area. The cemetery at Amara was destroyed in 2003 in the Iraq war.
JOHN WILLIAM BINGHAM
1884 - 1914
Although John Bingham does not appear on the 1911 census for Holme he may have moved to Holme before he enlisted as he appears on the Hunts Post of honour for 1915 for the village. Although other records say he resided in Nottingham.
He was born in Whittlesey in 1884. In 1901 he was a bricklayer but in 1911 he had become an insurance agent for the Prudential. He was married with 1 child, Albert, his wife being born in Ramsey Fen.
He was a lance sergeant in the Grenadier Guards. In view of his rank it is likely that he had been a member of the Territorial Army. Killed in action in France on 29 October 1914 at the first battle of Ypres, he is commemorated on the Ypres Menin Gate. Only 4 officers and 200 men survived this battle. The Menin gate is a memorial to those soldiers whose bodies were missing. He is also appears on the War memorial in Whittlesey.
GEORGE BURTON
1886 – 1917
Eldest son of George and Elizabeth Burton, George was born in Wistow in 1886. At the time of the 1911 census he lived at the Rookery Herne Road with his wife Alice and two young children aged 2 and 11/12 months. He was employed as a cowman. The Hunts Post roll of honour, for Holme, for 1915 shows him as one of the soldiers from Holme so he may have moved to the village between 1911 and 1914.
He joined up on the 8 November 1914 initially as a private in the Bedfordshire Regiment later transferring to the Northamptonshire Regiment. He was first sent to France in August 1915.
He was killed in action in France on 14 March 1917. He is buried at Adanac cemetery, Miraumont in the Somme area. He is also commemorated on the Ramsey War memorial.
GEORGE HENRY COLBERT
1881 -1918
Born in Sawty, in 1881, to William and Mary Colbert George was one of their surviving 7 children of the original 9. In 1911 he was a railway labourer still living with parents at Green End Sawtry. He was living in Conington when he enlisted.
He became a private in the Bedfordshire Regiment 4th Battalion enlisting at Bedford
Killed in action on 12 April 1918, in France, he is buried at Aveluy Wood Cemetery in the Department of the Somme Picardie.
GEORGE WILLIAM COOK
1886 - 1917
George Cook was one of 8 children of George and Elizabeth Cook and was born in Fenstanton.
The 1911 census shows George Cook as a boarder with the Short family on Long Drove Holme Fen. He was employed as a plate layer on the railways. At the time of his death his parents lived in Houghton near Huntingdon.
He appears on the Hunts Post roll of honour for Holme in 1915. He was a private in the 6th battalion Northamptonshire regiment
He was killed in action on 10 August 1917 in France, probably at the Battle of Passendale. As his name appears on the Menin Gate in Ypres no body was found.
JAMES HENRY CROW
1898 – 1918
Second child of four children of James and Emma Crow, James was born in Conington in 1898. His parents appear on the 1911 census living in Church Street Holme. His father worked as a farm labourer as was James.
He joined up when he was 18 years and 1 month old at Huntingdon on 9 February 1916. His description shows that he was only 5 foot 1 inch in height.
He was originally in the Bedfordshire Regiment but was subsequently transferred to the Cheshire Regimen on 4 March 1917. He was sent to France in 1917. James was killed in action in France on 2 September 1918.
As he has no known grave his name appears on the Vis-en-Artois war memorial in the Pas de Calais which commemorates those who fell after 8 August 1918 until the armistice was reached. He also has a headstone in the Holme cemetery alongside the graves of his parents and brother.
GEORGE WILLIAM CULLIP
1884 – 1918
Born at Sawtry to George and Mary Cullip, they had 6 children but only 4 survived. In 1911 he was living with his parents and working as a farm labourer.at Conington. In 1914 he married Annie Deere. and had a daughter, Elsie, in 1915 who was christened at Holme that year. He lived in Church Street during his time in Holme.
He enlisted at Ramsey St Mary’s as a private in the Bedfordshire Regiment. He later transferred to the 26th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) 184 tunnelling company.
Killed in action on 23 August 1918 in France, he is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Poperinge Belgium.
WILLIAM JAMES HIBBERT
1896 – 1916
William Hibbert was born in 1896 and lived with his mother, brother, grandparents and several boarders at the Maltings in Sawtry. It would appear that his mother Harriet had two children before marrying Frederick Burdett of Holme.
In 1911 he was living in Church Street Holme with his mother, stepfather, Frederick Burdett and two step brothers. He was employed as a farm labourer and is listed as a lodger on the census return.
He enlisted as a private in the Bedfordshire Regiment at Royston on 20 October 1914. According to the Holme School log he was one of 3 ex pupils who enlisted in Kitchener’s Army
He was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme on 18 August 1916. He is buried at Auchonvillers Military cemetery, Somme.
JIM QUINCEY
1892 – 1917
Jim Quincey was the eldest of 5 children of James and Emma Quincey, Jim lived at the Gatehouse Holme Fen his father being employed by the railway. He was born in Woodston the family seems to have moved around the Peterborough area as the children were born in different places. Jim Quincey was a farm labourer according to the 1911 census, but by the time he enlisted he was a porter at Sandy station.
He enlisted at Sandy in the 6th battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. A newspaper article states that he had tried to join up 4 times before the railways would release him to fight. He had fought at St. Quentin, Lens and Arras before going to Ypres where he was badly wounded. He had been a first man on a Lewis machine gun. He died of his wounds on 2 October 1917 and is buried in the Lijssenthoek Military cemetery Poperinge Belgium.
ERNEST RICHARDSON
1893 – 1916
Ernest Richardson is also listed on the Stilton War Memorial but their records show him as born in Peterborough although it is more likely that he is an Ernest Richardson born at Wistow. He was an acting bombardier with 26th Battery of the Royal Field Artillery and was killed in action on 21 September 1917 in France. He was buried in Canada Farm near Ypres Belgium.
The probable Ernest Richardson was born in Wistow and the 1901 census shows him living in Folksworth with his widowed mother and 5 children. In 1911 he was employed as a waggoner, in Holme Fen, lodging with the Keighley family probably working at Ladyseat Farm.
An Ernest Richardson is listed on the Hunts Post, role of honour, for Holme, as serving in July 1915 but not listed on the original plans for the war memorial.
JOHN ROBERT ROBINSON
1897 – 1915
John Robinson lived with his grandparents in Church Street Holme. In the 1911 census he was working as a farm labourer. The Holme Parish Register, at his christening, shows only his mother Esther Elizabeth Robinson.
The Holme School log, of 20 October 1914, lists John as one of the three boys from Holme School joining Kitchener’s army. He was a private in the Northamptonshire regiment. His medal card indicates that he was only sent to France on 1 September 1915 before being killed at the Battle of Loos on 27 September 1915. As he has no known grave his name is amongst those listed on the Loos Memorial in the Pas de Calais, France.
MILLIN JOHN SELBY
1896 – 1916
The eldest son of Millin Brown and Jessie Selby of Top Farm Holme, Millin was an old boy of Holme School. In 1911 he became a temporary boy clerk in the civil service passing the civil service exams; in 1913 he became an abstractor in the patent office.
He first enlisted as Private in the First Surrey Rifles and in February 1915 was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion, Northants Regiment. He was later attached to the 2nd Battalion and in October 1915 promoted to Lieutenant.
He was killed in action in France on 7 July and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. There is also a memorial plaque in Holme church.
He is also commemorated on the Patent Office memorial in Newport.
HERBERT SHARPE
1887 – 1914
The 1901 census shows Herbert Sharpe, born in 1887, living with his parents, Herbert and Emma, in North Street Stilton. His mother was widowed shortly after this census and remarried in 1904 to a Mr Eddings and moved to Church Street Holme. The Sharpe family had also lived at Glatton. He is listed on the Hunts Post roll of honour for 1915 for Holme. . –
He had served in the King’s Royal Rifles, in the regular army from 1903 and transferred to the army reserve in 1912 and was mobilised at Winchester at the beginning of the War.
He served as a rifleman, in the 2nd battalion of the King’s Royal Rifles, in France and died of wounds on 2 November 1914. He is buried at Messsines Ridge British cemetery.
FRANK WILLIS
1899 – 1918
Frank Willis was born in Stilton, the youngest child of the four children of George and Jane Willis. In 1911 he was living on Rays’s Drove Ramsey St Marys with his parents. It is not clear how he is connected to Holme as he is shown as living in Ramsey at the time he enlisted.
He was a private in the Bedford Regiment but subsequently posted to the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). He was killed in action in France on 24 April 1918. He is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial Somme. The memorial lists those with no known graves who fought along the Somme during the period 21 March to 8 August 1918. He is also remembered on the Ramsey war memorial.
The following names appear on the Holme War memorial but no record has been found to indicate why they appear on the memorial. It might be family members moved into the village in later years.
B BURROWS
The war memorial shows that this person served in the South Lancs Regiment during the 1914-18 war. The family name does not appear in the census 1911 or earlier locally so unable to make a connection with Holme. His name was not among the names on the original plan for the memorial.
ERNEST HADMAN - 1897 – 1917
Ernest Hadman’s parents moved to Denton Lodge from Washingley and it is probably because Denton was part of the Fielden estate at that time that his name is included on the Holme memorial. Full details of his war service and life can be seen on the Glatton memorial display as his name also appears on their memorial.
WILLIAM HARRIS 1890 -1918
The 1911 census shows that William was living in Cottenham, with his grandmother, but born in Whittlesey. He enlisted at Ramsey St Marys so it would appear he may have moved to the Holme area after that date. His wife lived at Grange Farm Thorney.
He was a private in the 9th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment. He was killed in action on 21 October 1918, in France, and is buried at Highland cemetery Le Cateau
G SYMONDS 1898 - 1918
It is not quite clear the connection George Symonds had to Holme but he does appear in the Hunts Post as someone from Holme serving in July 1915. His name was not on the original memorial but must have been added at a later date.
The only person shown on the Commonwealth War Graves website that appears to fit is a George Symonds serving in the Army Service Corps who served in Egypt and died on 8 October 1918. He is buried in the Damascus war cemetery in Syria. The information on his death record shows that he was born and lived in Spalding although the 1901 census shows him living in Chatteris and the 1911 as living in Pinchbeck.
WORLD WAR II
ERIC ADAMS
1922 -1946
Son of William and Maratha Adams, William is shown as a farm foreman in the Parish registers. Eric married Dorothy Emmington in November 1943, in Holme Church, and he is listed as a serving soldier at that time. Both parties were listed as residents of Holme when they married. He also left a son Roger.
He served in the marines and was posted to HMS Nelson at the time of his death. He died at the Churchill Hospital Oxford on 1 February 1946 and is buried in Ramsey St Mary’s churchyard. His family had moved to Ramsey at the time of his death but two of his brothers lived in Holmewood Holme until they died.
JOHN WILLIAM FEAST
1904 – 1940
The connection with Holme is unclear. John Feast was born in Upwell and his family appear on the 1911 census at Rookery Farm March. His father, Edward Feast was a farm labourer. John married Lilian Shailes somewhere in the Wisbech area in 1929.
He was a gunner in the Royal Artillery 33 field regiment and died at Dunkirk between 1 June and 2nd June 1940. As he was a member of the British Expeditionary Force it is likely he had already joined the army prior to the war or was a member of the Territorial Army. Over 7,000 members of the Royal Artillery were killed, wounded or missing at Dunkirk. His name appears on the Dunkirk memorial to those who have no known grave. His name is also on the Ramsey war memorial as his family are recorded as living there when he died.
GERALD DEAN SMITH
1910 – 1942
The 1911 census shows that Gerald was born in Surfleet in Lincolnshire son of Gerald and Maratha Smith. His father was a farm labourer. The family moved to Church Street Holme, next to the church, living in one of the two cottages which were demolished to make way for Woodlands. They later moved further up Church Street living in some other cottages which are now demolished. He also worked as a farm labourer for Squire Fielden,
In 1933 he married Ada Snitch. Ada continued to live in Holme after Gerald’s death and remarried in 1955 to Cecil Stacey.
It is thought he may well have been a member of the Territorial Army. He served as a gunner in (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment Royal Artillery. He is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial the whereabouts and how he died is not known. He is recorded as dying on 13 February 1942 which is 5 days after the Japanese invaded Singapore. In many cases the actual date of death is not known so the date stated is the day he went missing.