| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
Thomas Holmes was born in Walkington the 18 Aug 1886 and baptised as 'Tom' the 19 Sep 1886 at All Hallows, Walington the son of Thomas Holmes (also known as Mark), a tannery rulleyman, and Sarah, nee Bromby. Tom had four siblings,Alice born 1884; Albert born 1889; Rachel born 1893 and Daisy born 1895. Tom Holmes of Swinemoor Lane attended St Nicholas Infants School, Beverley until he was seven years old, then in August 1893 he transferred to Beverley Wesleyan School. He left that school to start work on the 3 Mar 1898, five months before his 12th birthday. By 1889 the family was living in Grovehill Road, Beverley. By 1901 they had moved to 9 Russell Terrace, Myton, Hull. In 1911 their home was 16 Abbey Crescent, Fountain Road, Hull.
An illegitimate daughter, Florence May Holmes, was born the 1 Oct 1906 to Tom Holmes and Lily Florence Erickson. She was baptised the 28 Nov at St Matthews, Hull. Florence May was raised by Tom's parents.
On the 23 Jun 1916 Tom was conscripted into the Army. He served as a soldier for one month before joining the Royal Flying Corps on the 22 Jul 1916 as Airman No 45568. Tom's Royal Flying Corps documents provide his personal description: he was “five feet, five and a half inches tall, brown hair, blue eyes, fresh complexion, wound on left ear. Civilian occupation: oil miller”. An incorrect year of birth is stated: “1882”. He served in France from the 5 Oct 1916 to 9 Aug 1919 and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Tom married Lily Hart on 27 Jul 1918 at St Barnabas Church, Holbeck, Leeds. They set up home at 18 Fitzarthur Street, Tone Road, Leeds.
Tom completed eight years service with the RFC and RAF. His trade was a fitter and he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman on 21 Dec 1921. His documents are endorsed “Digby” so he may have been stationed at RAF Digby, in Lincolnshire. There is an (undated) address for him, 160 Southwood Road, Ramsgate, Kent so he could also have have been stationed at nearby RAF Manston. He was transferred to the Reserve on 22 Jun 1924 and discharged on 22 Jun 1928 to his parents' address, 37 Leonard Street, Hull.
Tom's wife, Mrs Lily Holmes, married George Arthur Mitchell in 1928 though no record of a divorce between Thomas and Lily Holmes has been found.
On the 8 Nov 1929 Tom was working as a fitter with the London and North Eastern Railway at their works in South Accommodation Road, Leeds. While climbing one-handed up a hydraulic crane, holding a hot rivet in tongs in the other hand, he fell 25-feet to the ground and fractured his skull. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The verdict at the Inquest was “accidental death”. Tom is buried in Hunslett Cemetery, Leeds.
Includes information taken from census, military records, newspapers |