Further information
Laurence Crider, In Search of the Light Brigade, 2011, p.167:
Born in the parish of St. Luke's, Chelsea, London, the son of John Holmes and his wife, Mary, and baptised there on the 26th of May 1833.
Enlisted at Westminster on the 11th of June 1852.
Age: 21.
Height: 5' 8".
Trade: Farrier.
Appearance: Fresh complexion. Grey eyes. Brown hair.
Confined, 5th-6th of September 1853. Tried by a Regimental Court-martial and sentenced to 35 days' imprisonment.
Embarked for the Crimea aboard the H.T. "Mary Anne" on the 19th of April 1854.
At Scutari General Hospital from the 29th of December 1854 and sent to England on the 24th of March 1855.
Discharged from Chatham Invalid Depot on the 24th of June 1855, as:
"Unfit for further military service. Disabled by impaired use of lower left extremity from a severe injury caused by a fall from his horse which was shot under him in the charge at Balaclava."
Served 2 years 11 days.
Conduct: "good". Not in possession of any Good Conduct badges. Once tried by Court-martial.
Aged 22 years 8 months on discharge.
He was awarded a pension of 6d. per day for three years and a further 6d. per day for six months "final," on the 22nd of June 1858.
Pension letters dated until the 13th of September 1877.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
The medal roll states: "Medal sent to him on the 13th of January 1857."
He was living in the West London Pension District after discharge.
1881 Census
22 Victoria Grove, West, Hornsey, Middlesex
The 1881 Census shows him as a Police Pensioner (no Occupation) aged 48, born the parish of St. Luke's, Chelsea, with his wife, Caroline, 46, born in Kingsland, Middlesex. No children are shown.
A "W. Holmes" was shown as a member of the Balaclava Commemoration Society in 1877, but not in the 1879 revised list.
No information.
Laurence Crider, In Search of the Light Brigade, 2011, p.167: