In 1912, Holmes found work in a chemical plant in the East End of London.
In 1916, Holmes began volunteering for the Fabian Research Bureau, but was imprisoned as a conscientious objector, and only released in 1919.
This became a founding part of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), in which Holmes remained active.
[5][6][3][2] In 1941, the Daily Worker was banned, and Holmes set up the Industrial and General Information Service as a temporary replacement.
The ban was soon lifted, and Holmes returned to working for the Daily Worker, also serving as chair of the paper's Communist Party Committee.