THE VILLAGERS OF COLLINGHAM AND LINTON WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO
COLLINGHAMANDDISTRICTWARARCHIVE.INFO
CONTACT
Rank
Service
Unit
Regiment
- Lived in Collingham or Linton immediately prewar or during the war
(Usually taken from 1938 electoral roll or 1939 National Registration roll) - Named as a Voter on the 1945 or 1946 Service List Electoral Roll for Collingham or Linton
- Address in 1939 or 1945/46: College House, Linton
(taken from either the 1939 National Registration or the 1945 and/or 1946 service electoral rolls)
Biography
Family background
Ronald Joseph Holmes (b. 3 Feb 1912) and Charles Rodney Holmes (b. 1 Dec 1913) were both born in Linton, sons of Joseph Henry Holmes and his wife, Annie Eliza Holmes (nee King). Joseph Henry was a farmer and in 1921 was living at North Gate Farm, Linton. Ronald and Joseph had a younger sister, Vera Mary Holmes. At the time of the 1921 census and in some of the earlier records we have found for the family they seem not to have or to record middle names, Ronald Joseph being recorded as Ronald, Charles Rodney as Rodney and Vera Mary simply as Vera, but later records use middle names more.
Joseph and Annie brought up their children on farms in Linton and in the 1921 census they were all registered at North Gate Farm Linton along with Annie's widowed father, Charles King. By 1935, when Ronald and Rodney would have been 22 and 23 years old, they also appear on the electoral rolls with the family at College Farm, Linton.
In 1939, at the National Registration, Annie (by this time a widow), Ronald and Rodney were all recorded and registered at College House, Linton. Annie was listed as doing unpaid domestic work, Ronald Joseph was listed as a coal merchant, and Charles Rodney as a market gardener - both sons noted as doing heavy work.
When war was declared, both sons were eligible for service, and both signed up to serve in the military.
Service record
Ronald Joseph Holmes' name appears on the Service section of the 1945 Electoral Roll for Collingham, registered at 2 Church Street, Collingham. But we have not yet identified what branch of the services he joined and fought with.
After the war
After the war Ronald Joseph Holmes returned to the Wetherby area and from 1945 until 1950 he was registered on the electoral roll for Collingham living at 2, Church Street, Collingham. We have not found records for him after that date. We believe he died in 1989.
Biography last updated 26 January 2025 15:00:51.
If you have any photographs or further details about this person we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact us via: alan.berry@collinghamanddistrictwararchive.info