Welcome to the first part of the story featuring the Life and Times of Fred Holmes. When interviewed in December 2010 Fred was 89 years of age and would have been 100 this year, but sadly he has passed away since being interviewed.
Born in the English county of Kent in 1921, Fred openly shares the story of his life and throughout his story, he punctuates his recollections with his infectious humor.
Fred migrated to Australia with his family and according to him this is where his life and his story really begins. His recollection of events pre-WWII years is informative and entertaining. His school years were, according to Fred, just OK – mind you he didn’t get off to a great start when he bit the headmistress while being introduced to her.
Leaving school at thirteen and a half, he found work in a radio shop and later became an apprentice to a grocer.
At the age of 21 he joined the Army and was still in training when the Japanese attacked Darwin and from that incident and he ends up as a guard in a Prisoner Of War camp and in this part of his story he begins to share the rather incredible stories of this period of his life.
Click to hear – Fred Holmes – Part 1Previous Listen To Older Voices Programs can be found in our archive, by clicking on one link or the other
– 2012 to 2016 
– 2016 onward 
[Listen To Older Voices receives funding from the Commonwealth Government
through the Commonwealth Home Support Program Program]
