Holmes, Frederick William Henry (Oral history)

British NCO served with Special Reserve 12th Lancers in Ireland, 1915-1916; served with 13th Bn Middlesex Regt on Western Front, 1916-1917; served as machine gunner with 12th Lancers on Western Front, 1917

REEL 1: Recollections of background in Northampton, 1897-1914: family circumstances; education; working in family hairdressing business; boxing activities; reactions to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914; question of recruitment; signing up under Derby scheme and call up underage to Northampton Barracks, 9/1915; failed application to join Northampton Yeomanry. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during training with Special Reserve 12th Lancers at Marlborough Barracks, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland, 9/1915-11/1915: reception and appointment of old soldier to assist them as recruits; kitting out and uniform; barrack room; food rations; reactions to army lifestyle; cavalry drill; rifle training; hand grenade training and qualification as bombing instructor; riding instruction at riding school. REEL 2 Continues: passing out from riding school; sword exercises; lance training and tent pegging; boxing activities; background to failed attempt to avoid promotion to unpaid lance corporal; role as lance corporal; boxing competitions; pay; PT; breakfast; stable duties and grooming horses; quality of horse; recreations in Dublin; relationship with Irish civilians; initial inability to ride bareback; duties breaking in remount horses; relationship with other ranks and question of swearing; relationship with NCOs. REEL 3 Continues: relationship with officers; account of Irish Rebellion and Easter Rising in Dublin, 24/4/1916-1/5/1916, increasing attacks on soldiers, ignorance of political situation, issue of rifles and taking up positions in Foley Street facing Corporation Buildings, question of Irish snipers, introduction of curfew and consequent hunger amongst Irish civilians, buildings set on fire, threat of Irish snipers, move to Steven's Green, attitude of Irish civilians to British troops, personal morale and corpse in Foley Street and subsequent lack of contact with Irish civilians; pride in unit; background and reactions to transfer to infantry due to declining role of cavalry. Journey out to join 13th Bn, Middlesex Regt in France, 11/1916-5/1917: cigarette ration; kitting out at Infantry Base Depot, Etaples; question of differences in cavalry and infantry training; train journey; reception; story of taking part in boxing match. REEL 4 Continues: story of taking part in boxing match; route march to Bethune area. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during periods in Loos and Lens sectors, shell shock case; approach to line; trench names; tours of duty; nature of trenches and dugouts; rat problem; nature of No Man's Land; question of contact with German troops; food rations; water supply; shaving; rum ration; latrines; lice problem; stand to; frogs in Beaumont Hamel sector, Somme area; corpses. REEL 5 Continues: effects of cold and wet winter conditions; state of health; boredom; George Robey songs; food rations; letter contact with GB; sentry duty; state of morale; role as lance corporal setting gas guard; story of giving medical treatment to wounded soldier; minenwerfer fire; German shell fire; machine guns; question of German sniping and opinion of steel helmet; method of firing rifle grenades; lack of use of hand grenades; wiring parties; personal morale; relationship with NCOs and officers; increased German shellfire in support and reserve lines. REEL 6 Continues: rest periods including sleeping arrangements and visits to estaminets; move to Lens, 1/1917; pithead baths. Period in Vimy Ridge sector, Arras area, 2/1917: situation; Westinghouse catapult mortar; dugouts. Recollections of training with Machine Gun Corps Cavalry at Camiers: recall as ex-cavalryman and initial refusal to volunteer; reputation as 'Suicide Club'; training in Vickers machine gun and role of team members. Period with machine gun section, 12th Lancers in Arras and Somme areas, 4/1917: use of horse holders; move to St Quentin Birdcage and sings part of parody 'In the Birdcage'; German shellfire; GB leave; rejoining unit in horse lines at Beaumont Hamel. Recollections of operations at Bourlon Wood, 29/11/1917-30/11/1917: situation; story of casualties from German shell whilst setting up Vickers machine gun; ignorance of thigh wound; sheltering in trench; story of officer seeking advice from senior NCO. REEL 7 Continues: story of officer seeking advice from senior NCO; relief; fatigue; discovery of thigh wound and evacuation to advanced dressing station; news of German counter-attack; confused situation in Bourlon Wood; story of post-war visit to battlefield and lack of known grave of friends; background to acceptance of reversion to trooper on joining unit; prior German gas cloud attack, gas guard duty and gas mask. Evacuation to GB, 12/1917. Period in hospital in Sheffield, 12/1917-1/1918: problems with blood poisoning and septic sores; opinion of medical treatment. Period in Alnwick Convalescent Camp, 1/1918-8/1918: situation; appearing before Medical Board and reduced medical category; relationship with local civilians and meeting future wife. Period with Machine Gun Corps Cavalry at Uckfield, 1918-1921: training; Armistice Day celebrations, 11/11/1918; question of return to active service; question of demobilisation. background to acceptance of offer of gratuity to re-enlist for two years; conversion of 12th Lancers to tank unit; training with Pat O'Keefe and entry as welterweight into Army Boxing Championship. REEL 8 Continues: entry as welterweight into Army Boxing Championship; question of status as boxer; demobilisation, 1921. Post-war career: work as hairdresser in Alnwick and Wooler; question of effects of war.