Frederick William Holmes

Frederick William Holmes
Port Augusta , Australia
Buried	Stirling North Garden Cemetery, Section 2, Row E, Grave 6, Port Augusta, South Australia[1]
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1907-1921
Rank	Captain
Unit	King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Victoria Cross Médaille militaire

Captain Frederick William Holmes VC (15 September 1889 – 22 October 1969) also known as F. W. Holmes, was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Biography

Holmes was 24 years old, and a

In 1917, Holmes, who was a Lieutenant at the time, stated that whilst on his veranda with a group of officers in Kirkee, he had observed the Indian rope trick being performed by an old man and young boy. The boy climbed the rope, balanced himself and then descended. The old man tapped the rope and it collapsed.^[3][4] This demonstration did not include the disappearance of the boy. In February 1919, Holmes presented a photograph he had taken of the trick at a meeting with members of The Magic Circle. It was examined by Robert Elliot, who stated it was not a demonstration of the Indian rope trick but an example of a balancing trick on a bamboo pole. Elliot noted that "the tapering of the pole is an absolutely clear feature and definitely shows that it was not a rope."^[5] Holmes later admitted this, however, the photograph was reproduced by the press in several magazines and newspapers as proof the trick had been successfully demonstrated. Although discredited, the photograph is considered to be the first ever taken of the trick.^[5][6]

References