As I often like to tell people when I get on my archives spiel, church records are important not only for the stories they tell about specific churches but also for the stories they tell about our broader community and society.
According to the minutes of the January 15, 1918 meeting of the Grace Methodist Young Men’s Bible Class, only one member of the group, George Holmes, was injured during the catastrophic Halifax explosion occurring on December 6, 1917. Coincidentally, a little further on in the minute book was a letter from George Holmes to the Bible Class describing his experience and his injuries.
It’s a remarkable story indeed and one that I’ll let him tell in his own words. The Mont Blanc that he mentions in the letter is the ship that was carrying all the explosives.
As a side note, George Alfred Holmes was born on September 12, 1889 to Alfred and Elizabeth Holmes in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He married Lucille Marie Parker on April 18, 1920 and his occupation at the time is listed as being “Chief clerk, Marine Ships.”
Here are the minutes from The Young Men’s Bible Class mentioning George Holmes being injured:
Young Men’s Bible class minutes, January 15, 1918
And here’s George Holmes’ letter:
Hi this is my grandfather. I’m so happy you posted this. I don’t think anyone in the family knows about it. Incedently. I have to let you know that he actually divorced this lady Lucille Marie Parker. Then married my grandmother Lilian Morass some 10 years later No one ever talked about it. It’s nice to finally know this lady’s name.
Jennifer Holmes-Gohring
Thank you for posting because I have always been interested in The Halifax Explosion but particularly wanted to find out about this wonderful gentleman…his daughter—now in her 80s—married my father….they wed happily their 70s in 2003. Second marriages for both (widower & divorcee). I was fascinated to hear George was found very much alive in the morgue and had miraculously survived close proximity to the blast centre. Hello Jennifer! I am Steve’s daughter. He expresses himself so well and went on to have an exceptional career and family!
I wonder if the current Oscar nomination for a short film was based on George Holmes’ story. I will research a bit and write back