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The General's Last Card
The General Officer Commanding’s (GOC) card awarded to Lance Corporal P.C. Rawlins for “coolness and courage” at Messines in France in 1917 has a special historic significance. Cards like these were widely used in the British Expeditionary Force as a way of providing tangible recognition to men who were thought deserving but who had not received any other award. This card, shared with Australia in the Great War by P.C. Rawlins’ family, was one of the last cards issued by Major General William Holmes, Australia’s commanding officer for the 4th Division in France from 1917.
Major General Holmes died of a freak bombshell blast only five days after signing Lance Corporal Rawlins’ award. Holmes had a distinguished military career and in the opening weeks of the Great War as a colonel, led the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force to our nation’s first victory – the taking of German Territory in New Guinea.
In March 1915 he was given command of the 5th Brigade and in August arrived at Gallipoli. He was given command of the 2nd Division in December during the Gallipoli withdrawal. After the evacuation he resumed command of the 5th Brigade and took his men to France, leading them in the battles of Pozières and Flers. In January 1917 he was promoted to major general and was given command of the 4th Division.
On 2 July 1917, he was escorting the NSW Premier, William Homan, on a tour of the battlefield at Messines when a chance shell landed nearby, mortally wounding the Major General. He died on the way to a field hospital and was buried in Les Trois Arbres British cemetery near Armentières.
His GOC card to Lance Corporal Rawlins reads:
Major General W. Holmes, CMG, DSO, VD – Commanding 4th Australian Division congratulates No. 6080 Lance Corporal P.C. Rawlins, 15th btn., on his coolness and courage at Messines on 12th./13th. June, 1917
It was signed on 27 June.
