John Vincent Holland, Athy Co. Kildare, Ireland, Victoria Cross recipient, 7th Leinsters

John Vincent Holland, Athy Co. Kildare, Ireland, Victoria Cross recipient, 7th Leinster Regiment, 16th (Irish) Division, Somme campaign, awarded for action at Guillemont 3rd September 1916, brief extract from FORGOTTEN MEN 1934 with historian Sir John Hammerton

[@andrewholland6819]

Thanks for posting this. Where did you find it? The only film the family have seen of my grandfather

[@martinstaunton9304]

Dear Andrew - nice to make contact - this is an extract from Forgotten Men: The War as It Was (1934) - info easily found on a google search
I got a VHS copy of it from DD Video company in UK in 2000

[@Altofinouno]

He is buried in the British War Cemetery managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission just outside Imphal. He was shot by a Japanese sniper when returning to camp after a sortie. He received the Military Cross posthumously.

[@martinstaunton9304]

Many thanks ! how did you get this info / I have 23rd Indian Division History and an account of Sangshark shortly before but no mention - battalion war diary ?

[@COLEEN322]

more respect has to be given to the 16th, all they have is 2 small celtic crosses where as the 36th have a bloody great monument, that's bullshit politics for you!

[@martinstaunton9304]

sent you a Google+ contact; do you know anything of Holland's son Niall KIA at Kohima with 4/5 Mahratta L I June 1944 ?

[@BagsvaerdRowing]

Hi Actually Niall received the Military Cross in the battle of Sanshak in April/May 1944 and he was killed in the June while as a forward officer on another assult on the Japanese..
Bernard Holland
See James S Barr account of the history of the regiment..as it tells in detail the various battles