John Vincent Holland
- Born
- 1890-07-19 12:00:00
- Died
- 1975-02-27 12:00:00
- Gender
- Male
John Vincent Holland was born in Athy, County Kildare on the 19th of July 1890 to John Holland and Cathering Peppard. His father was a veterinary surgeon, indicating that the family would have been relatively well off.
He attended Clongowes Wood College and then went on to further his education at Liverpool University.
As a young man, Holland enlisted in the British military services. In March 1915 he was deployed to France to fight in the First World War but was sent home to Ireland following an injury in August of that same year. Once he had recovered he was sent back to the Western Front.
On the 3rd of September 1916, Holland was involved in action at the Battle of the Somme. He led troops through heavy fire and captured some 50 prisoners. For this deed he was awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross. He also went on to rise to the rank of Captain.
He was discharged from the army in 1918, having married Frances Grogan in Cork a year earlier, but he re-enlisted in the Indian Army in 1919. He also served in Kenya before retiring in 1922. With the outbreak of World War II, Holland enlisted for a third time but was discharged due to invalidity in 1941.
Holland and his wife Frances emigrated to Hobart, Tasmania where he died in 1975 at the age of 86.
