MAA Barry Holmes
Level/ Rank / Title
MAA
First Name
Barry
Surname
Holmes
Nickname
Date Served
Joined RB / RNP
Decorations / Awards
Crossed the Bar
30 July 1989
Ships/ Establishments/Base/Command HQ
Service History:
With gratitude for your service and friendship as a fellow member of the Regulating Branch, Royal Navy Police or Royal Navy.
Rest in eternal peace. Safe anchorage.
If, as a member of the community you have additional service information, please contact a member of the Association Committee directly or by email at welfare@rba93.com. Please include the reference CTB and full name in the email header.
Funeral and celebration of life service:
This Post Has 3 Comments
Carried forward: A totally irreverant sense of humour which was only kept in check if he was seperated from the other “terror”…Lennie Yateman. Life was much more interesting around these two very colourful characters.
Both of them were banned from the Mess by Tim O’Donovan after a dinner which culminated in Barry smacking a kiss on top of the Commodore’s head! (I firmly believe that Lennie had quite a lot to do with it….) – Tom Lyons.
Carried forward: Here is another version of events
Just to correct Tom’s dit above. It’s amazing how stories get a little distorted over time. I was DNPM at Plymouth
Patrol in 1979 when Barry Holmes and Lennie Yeatman, both RPOs at the time, misbehaved at a mess function.
They actually verbally abused the MAA who was Tim O’Donovan. As Mess supervising officer and with Tim’s
cognizance I banned them both from the mess for three months. This ban period went over Christmas and New
Year and, as anyone knows who has served at Plymouth Patrol, we had some smashing parties and social events.
After one month ban they put a request form in to have the ban lifted and attended my requestmen.
The request was turned down. After another month they requested again and pleaded that their wives were also being
punished as they would not be able to attend the Christmas parties. I informed them that their wives could come as my
guests if they wished.
They then said that that their children were being punished as they would not be able to attend the childrens’
Christmas party. I informed them that their children could come to the party as guests of the mess and refused
their request. About two weeks before the party I called them and Tim into my office and lifted the ban.
Barry walked up to me, took off my hat, tilted my head forward and kissed me in the top of my head.
Sorry, but it wasn’t the Commodore he kissed.
It had always been my intention to lift the ban before Christmas but I had to make them sweat it out a bit
plus the bar takings had dropped drastically during the ban
Barry and Lenny worked hard and played hard. They were great team members, great to have around and
great mates. RIP Barry. – David Tinsdale.
Carried forward: My memories of Barry are vibrant! He was personality plus, worked hard and played harder. I remember he
bought a huge German Shepherd as his home was on a busy street and he was away. He paid a fortune for it,
bought a huge freezer and then filled it up with dog food. The dog had a heart attack and died!
He was always very short with me and I didn’t know why (who couldn’t love a stormy jock with a keen sense
of humour full of his own importance) until one day I asked him. He looked up from his desk (Plymouth PHQ),
thought for a moment and said, “coz it’s like looking at myself, now phuck off and see if the marines will take you”
Which is how I ended up at 1Cdo Brigade! – Vitt Cox.