Major General William Holmes (12 September 1862 – 2 July 1917) was a senior Australian Army officer during the First World War. He was mortally wounded by a German artillery shell while surveying the ground won at the Battle of Messines. Early life and career Holmes was born in Sydney on 12 September 1862, the son of Captain William Holmes, the chief clerk at New South Wales Military Forces Headquarters, and Jane Holmes. Holmes lived in the Victoria Barracks and was educated at Paddington Public School. In 1872 at the age of 10 Holmes joined the 1st Infantry Regiment of the New South Wales Military Forces as a bugler and served in every enlisted rank. Holmes worked at the Sydney Mint and then joined the Department of Works as a clerk on 24 June 1878. On 24 August 1887, he married Susan Ellen Green, whose family also lived in the Victoria Barracks. They had two children, one son and one daughter. On 20 April 1888 he became chief clerk and paymaster of the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage. Under his leadership, the department underwent a major expansion and the Cataract, Cordeaux and Avon dams were built. Holmes served for 18 months in a submarine mining company before returning to the regiment and being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1886. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1890, captain in 1894 and major in 1900. Boer War In 1899, Holmes volunteered for service in South Africa. The company left for South Africa in November 1899, and on arrival was incorporated in the Australian Regiment. Originally an infantry unit, it became mounted in February. He saw action at Colesberg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill in June 1900, where he was wounded. Holmes was mentioned in despatches, promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). He returned home in August 1900. Holmes commanded the 1st Australian Infantry from 1902 to 1911. He was promoted to colonel on 6 January 1912 and was appointed to command the 6th Infantry Brigade. First World War During the First World War, Holmes served first as Commander of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF), and later as Commander of the 5th Brigade, which he took to Gallipoli and the Western Front. German New Guinea Shortly after war broke out, a special expeditionary force, the AN&MEF, was formed to occupy German possessions