Background and Career
Holmes was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook and Emmanuel College, Cambridge, as well as Northern Illinois University and the University of Reading. In 1964, he enlisted in the Territorial Army, the part-time volunteer reserve of the British Army. Two years later he gained his commission, eventually rising to the rank of Brigadier. He spent most of his Territorial Army career with the 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment, a NATO-centred infantry battalion.
Between 1969 and 1985, he was a lecturer at the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, becoming Deputy Head of the Department in 1984. He was promoted acting Captain in 1972, substantive Captain in 1973, acting Major in 1978, awarded the Efficiency Decoration (TD) in 1979, promoted to substantive Major in 1980. In 1983 he transferred to and took command of the 2nd Battalion, The Wessex Regiment. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel when he chose to give up full-time service in 1986. In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (Military Division). He was promoted Colonel on 29 January 1989.
In June 1991 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Queen, holding the post until February 1997. In January 1994 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Southampton University Officer Training Corps, and in that February, he was appointed Brigadier TA at Headquarters Land Command. In 1995, he became Professor of Military and Security Studies at Cranfield.
From 1997 until his retirement in 2000, Holmes was Director Reserve Forces and Cadets, as well as having the distinguished honour of being Britain's senior serving reservist. In the 1998 New Year Honours he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (Military Division). From September 1999 to 1 February 2007 he was Colonel of the Regiment of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (successor to The Queen's and Royal Hampshire Regiments). On 19 September 2000 he was awarded the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal.
Read more about this topic: Richard Holmes (military Historian)
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