Holmes brothers? 6th N. Staffs

[tybaltstone]

I am trying to find out anything I can about the possibility of the following photograph being of four brothers. My suspicion is that they may be called Holmes. It's only my feeling they are brothers - but they look like it, don't you think? I can see they are all North Staffordshire lads.

I have another photo of one of the gentlemen with his wife and child (above). The woman *might* be my gg-aunt Charlotte Hodgkins, but I only think that because she has a family resemblance - there is no information on the photo, but it comes from that quarter of my family. Charlotte married a chap called Arthur Holmes (in 1911), and they lived in Uttoxeter.

I know that there are more Holmes around. I have postcards from Charlotte's brother Ted Hodgkins and one is from Ted, Arthur and Ernest, with a note 'Pte. E. Holmes, G Comp, 6th North Battalion, Burton-on-Trent'. I'm thinking the Arthur and Ernest are Arthur Holmes (married to Charlotte) and E. Holmes (written atop the postcard). This postcard has a Burton-on-Trent postmark, and has this picture on other side (badges are all N.Staffs)...

I have another postcard (just a painted soldier scene on it, no photo) which says: 'No. 240083, Pte. E. Holmes, 8 Platoon, B Coy., 1/6 North Staffordshire Regt, B.E.F. France.' Looking on the Medal cards I see 240083 is E. Holmes, 6th N. Staffs, rank: Pte(L/cpl), date of gazette: a0275 1/8/19. It says 'Awarded the TFE medal'. Another MIC reveals his name as Edward... not Ernest, as I'd expected. Edward is Pte. N. Staffs R., numbers 1540 and 240083, Victory Medal, 1915 Star, theatre of war: France, date of entry therein: 5/3/15.

I checked the 1901 census to see who was in the Holmes family in Uttoxeter... and sure enough there is Arthur (who married Charlotte) with brothers Ernest *and* Edward (also elder brothers John and William, and younger brothers Thomas and Richard).

There are various candidates for Ernest and Arthur Holmes in the N. Staffs on the MIC (can't afford to pay out and check them all, and they probably won't give me an answer as to which served with Ted)... Ernest Alfred Holmes (242060), Ernest Holmes (52775), Arthur H. Holmes (47975), Arthur Holmes - several (240049, 203755, 52764 and 13444). I can't see any on the CWG, and I know that Arthur survived the war.

I don't know if anyone would happen to have any information on Holmes in the N. Staffs, especially the 6th Bttn - or any educated opinions on any of the above (eg. 8 Platoon, 6th Bttn. or G Company). I have a few bits and pieces that seem to hover around this story and am just trying to tie bits together.

Thanks for reading this lengthy post!

- Garen.