Born during the June quarter in the St. Olave R.D.
- ref: 1d/337, the son of Samuel & Margaret
Catherine Holman (nee Cain).

In 1911, his father was the Licensed Victualler at
6 Dockhead, Bermondsey, London.

1939 National Registration. - No Trace, indicating
that he was already serving in the Army at the
outbrak of WW2.   His father was recorded as a
Hotel Proprietor at the York Hotel, York Road,
Lambeth, London - Married - born: 9th September
1876.  His mother was residing at 31 Priory
Terrace, Hampstead, London - born: 1st June 1886 -
occ: Unpaid Domestic Duties.

One of 12 Royal Engineers from 1 Engineer, Supply
Base Depot killed when a H.E. bomb landed on the
Royal Artillery Officers Mess on Hyde Road,
Ardwick where they were billeted.  Eleven of them
were killed outright, but the 12th survived, only
to be killed when he went back into the building
to search for his buddies when the remains of the
building collapsed onto him.  His body was not
recovered until the following day.

In total only nine bodies were recovered, but the
remains of three of them were never found and, in
consequence they have no known graves - their
deaths were not registered until September 1941.

Death registered during the March quarter 1941 in
the Manchester R.D.- ref: 8d/558 - aged: 28.

CWGC - Son of Samuel and Margaret Holman, of West
Hampstead, London.   Brother of Samuel Walter
Holman who also died on active service.

His brother Samuel Walter Holman was killed
fighting in Italy in 1944.


Due to the military losses, the war-time Censors
did a fine job with this incident and it was
'hushed up' at the time.  So fine a job did the
authorities do, that until recently the local
studies libraries had no knowledge of the
incident, not even the Royal Engineers Museum at
Chatham knew anything about it.   Their names were
as follows:-

Benjamin Harry BROUGHTON
Eric John Berkley CLAYTON
Leslie DANES
William Reginald DEAKIN
George Wilfred HIMBURY
James Bird HODGSON
Charles C. HOLMAN
William Hugh MILLER
Isaiah MOSS
Henry William Abram ROBERTS
Jack Edward SHELDRAKE
Dennis Henry Wilfred THAYER