John Vincent HollandVC, was World War I Irish soldier, and the recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He enlisted in 1914 with the 2nd Battalion of the Life Guards. In March 1915 he was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and sent to France. He was wounded in August 1915 and medically evacuated to the England and Ireland to convalesce, but soon returned to the Western Front, this time with the 3rd Battalion of the Leinster Regiment, serving as battalion bombing officer. On 3 September 1916, during the Somme Offensive, whilst engaged in intense combat in the vicinity of the village of Guillemont, Holland was awarded the Victoria Cross for the following action: "During a heavy engagement, Lt. Holland, not content with bombing hostile dug-outs, fearlessly led his troops through our own artillery barrage and cleared a great part of the village in front. He started out with 26 troops and finished with only five after capturing some 50 prisoners. By this gallant action he undoubtedly broke the spirit of the enemy and saved many casualties." Holland was subsequently promoted to Captain. During the war he was also Mentioned in Dispatches and received a personal "Hickie Parchment" from his Divisional General-Officer-Commanding, Major-General William Hickie, in recognition of his bravery in action.
Later life
In 1917, Holland married Frances Grogan at the cathedral in Cork City. Together they had two sons: Major Niall V. Holland, who was killed in Burma during the Second World War and Norman J. Holland. In 1918, Holland was discharged from the army, but re-enlisted with the 9th Lancers of the Indian Army in November 1919 where he reached the rank of major. He also served for a period in Kenya. In 1922, he retired from the army and entered the civil service. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Holland again re-enlisted, serving as administrative officer of the 79th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, then joining the 9/10th D.C.O. Lancers but was invalided out in 1941. He then took up a position with the Ministry of Food. In 1956, Holland and his wife emigrated to Hobart, in Tasmania.
Death
Holland died in Hobart in February 1975 at the age of 86. His body was buried in Cornelian Bay cemetery, with military honours. His wife, Frances, pre-deceased him, dying in 1960. Holland lived to see the birth of his great-grandchild.
Tribute
On 3 September 2009 a memorial plaque was unveiled at Guillemont Church in France dedicated to the memory of the three soldiers who won Victoria Crosses in the fighting at the village during the Somme in 1916, Holland name being one of the three.
