John Holmes (British Army officer)

Holmes was commissioned into the Scots Guards in 1970.[1] In 1972 he was awarded the Military Cross for service in Northern Ireland.[2] He transferred to 22 Special Air Service in 1974 and was commanding officer of the Regiment from 1989 to 1992.[3] He then commanded the Airborne Brigade for three years.[3] He worked for the Supreme Allied Commander Europe before being appointed Director Special Forces in 1999.[3] He was promoted to major general in 2001 and became General Officer Commanding 4th Division before retiring in 2002.[3]

In 2002, he joined Inkerman, a security and risk management company.[1] He is a Director of Erinys International, and the founder Titon International UK.[1] Maj-Gen Holmes joined the British Syrian Society (BSS) in January 2018.[4] The BSS was set up, and is run, by Fawaz Akhras, the British-based father-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad. “It doesn’t mean I support the actions of President Assad and the Syrian government,” Holmes told The Sunday Times. “I believe in dialogue . . . Perhaps it [the BSS] is not the ideal vehicle for that, but at the moment it’s the only vehicle.”[4]