Stephen Holmes

Bank: National Provincial Bank

Place of work: Trowbridge branch

Died: 21 June 1941

Stephen James Holmes was born on 2 October 1918, the son of Ernest Sidney and Mary Ann Elizabeth Holmes. He had a twin brother, Ernest, and their parents both died when the boys were very young. They lived with their aunt and guardian, Winifred Fox, who had worked at National Provincial Bank's Bristol Old Bank Branch before her marriage. Stephen was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, Bristol, after which he worked for some months at a local cigarette maker, before securing a post with his aunt's former employer, National Provincial Bank. He started work as a probationer at the bank's Trowbridge branch in May 1936 and in October 1938 was promoted to clerk.

Just before the outbreak of war, in August 1939, Holmes left the bank to go on war service in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry. His twin brother Ernest, who served in the Navy, was killed in action in June 1940. A year later, on 21 June 1941, Trooper Holmes was killed in action in Syria. He was 22 years old.