caption serviceyears branch commands death_date death_place birth_place allegiance awards battles birth_date rank image article_title name
colonel and military expeditionary force -lrb- an & mef -rrb- in william new guinea holmes , commander of the australian navy 1872 -- 1917 new south wales military forces citizens military force 4th -- 17 -rrb- australian naval and military expeditionary force -lrb- division 1914 -- 15 -rrb- 6th infantry brigade -lrb- 1912 -- -lrb- 14 -rrb- 1st infantry regiment -lrb- 1902 -- 11 -rrb- 1917 -rrb- 5th brigade -lrb- 1915 2 july 1917 messines , belgium sydney , new south wales new -lrb- 1901 -- 17 -rrb- south wales -lrb- 1872 -- 01 -rrb- australia companion george distinguished service order volunteer officers ' decoration mentioned in of despatches -lrb- 5 -rrb- the order of st michael and st second boer war 12 september 1862 major general colonel william holmes.jpg william holmes -lrb- australian general -rrb-
 william holmes
william holmes -lrb- australian general -rrb-

major general william holmes -lrb- 12 september 1862 -- 2 july 1917 -rrb- 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 .
