Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Albert was the son of William Henry HOLLAND & Elizabeth (Bessie) DESMOND and was born on the 13th of May 1875 in Bath, Somerset, England.

His parents were married on the 25th of February 1872 in St John’s Church, Upper Holloway, England.

His father was the son of Henry HOLLAND & Mary Ann PEAD and was born in 1851 in Buckinghamshire, England.
His mother was the daughter of James DESMOND & Ann WELCH and was born in 1851 in Chackmore, Buckinghamshire, England.

Albert was the second child born into the family of 6 children.

Albert’s father was a shoemaker and when Albert was 7 years old the family embarked from Plymouth on the 23rd of February 1883 on board the Dundee.

Just before they arrived in South Australia they experienced severe weather in St Vincent Gulf and the ship rolled that much that her mainmast hit the water and was broken off and the foremast was sprung. All the sails were set on the remaining 2 masts and they limped into port on the 28th of May 1883.

His father continued his profession as a boot maker and by 1890 the family was living in Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide.

By 1900 the family had moved to Oxford Terrace, New Parkside and his father and brother William had gone into business together as boot makers.

Albert gained employment as a railway employee.
At the age of 26, Albert enlisted into the 3rd South Australian Bushmen’s Contingent and allotted the Regimental Number 72.
He embarked in the transport Maplemore, which steamed from Port Adelaide on the 27th of February, 1900, disembarking at Beira on the 1st of April.

After nearly 12 months here Albert became dangerously ill with pneumonia near Ottoshoop and was invalided back to Australia, disembarking on the 28th of February 1901.

The 2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse “D Squadron” was then formed on the 6th of January 1902 and returned South African soldiers that were single and of good nature, were invited to join.
Albert had recovered from his pneumonia so he enlisted on the very same day and was allotted the Regimental Number 1017.

He embarked from Pt Adelaide on the 20th of February on board Manchester Merchant, disembarking in Durban on the 14th of March.
After 4 months Albert embarked on board the Norfolf on the 5th of July, called at Albany, and disembarked in Largs Bay on the 31st of July and then his Squadron was disbanded on the 14th of August 1902.

His father died on the 17th of September 1905 in the Adelaide Hospital.

Albert married Sarah FITZGERALD on the 18th of August 1906 at the residence of Simon James Revell, in Dale Street, Pt Adelaide.
Sarah was the daughter of Michael & Catherine FITZGERALD & Catherine and was born in 1876.

They welcomed their only child; Michael Frederick HOLLAND in 1907 and they made their home at 7 Liddon Place, Portland and Albert gained employment as a Horse Driver.

At the age of 40, Albert enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 5th of January 1916 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 2325 and posted to E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He was transferred to the 3rd Light Horse, 16th Reinforcements on the 1st of February and embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A59 Botanist on the 26th of April 1916, disembarked in Suez.

After being wounded in Egypt, Albert embarked from Suez on the 12th of November 1917 on board HT Wiltshire, disembarking in Melbourne on the 17th of December and entrained to Adelaide the following day.

Albert was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 18th of June 1918 and awarded the British War and Victory Medals.

Sarah died at their home on the 3rd of October 1936 and Albert buried her in the Cheltenham Cemetery; FX, Drive A, Path 28, Plot 167C.

Albert then married Ethel Emily May ANGRAVE nee NIEMANN.
Ethel was the daughter of Henry Harris NIEMANN & Jessie Elizabeth MALCOLM and was born on the 21st of May 1881 in Noarlunga, SA.

Ethel was previously married to Alfred James ANGRAVE on the 11th of July 1904.
They had 2 daughters; Jessie Margaret & Hazel Etheline before Alfred enlisted into the 3rd Light Horse Regiment (258) on the 19th of August 1914. Alfred died on the 3rd of June 1916 from wounds he received on the 1st of June 1916 at Romani. He had also served in the Boer War.

Ethel died on the 20th of July 1945 at the residence of her daughter Jessie, at 130 North Terrace, Kensington Gardens and Albert buried her in the Centennial Park Cemetery; Acacia, Path F, Plot 2553.

Albert died on the 10th of October 1954 in the Daw Park Repatriation Hospital and was buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery with his first wife Sarah; Section FX, Drive A, Path 28, Plot 167C.

Military

Boer War

At the age of 26, Albert enlisted into the 3rd South Australian Bushmen’s Contingent and allotted the Regimental Number 72.
He embarked in the transport Maplemore, which steamed from Port Adelaide on the 27th of February, 1900 and called at Fremantle to pick up the Western Australian Bushmen.
They disembarked at Beira on the 1st of April and participated in operations in Western Transvaal from June 1900 to April 1901. They formed part of General Carrington's force, which crossed Rhodesia and entered the Transvaal from about Mafeking.

Between the 4th of July and the 9th of August, the squadron was patrolling the Marico and working towards Eland's River district and on the 9th, they retired to Mafeking with General Carrington.

Four days later they were in a skirmish and the next day in a fight at Buffel's Hoek. On the 15th, the squadron was made part of a composite regiment of Bushmen with " D" Squadron New South Wales 1st Mounted Rifles, Captain Poison's squadron 5th New Zealanders, and the 3rd Tasmanians.
For a long time the Regiment did excellent work in the Western Transvaal, as part of Lord Methuen's division. At Buffel's Hoek there was fighting and they sustained casualties and then for the second time they were in action at Ottoshoop on the 12th of September, when Captain Samuel. G. Hubbe was killed.

Throughout the latter part of 1900 and the first quarter of 1901, the composite regiment was in many engagements, chiefly in the Western Transvaal, and also north of the Orange River Colony; and losses were frequent, the enemy being alert and ably led.

Albert became dangerously ill with pneumonia near Ottoshoop and was invalided back to Australia, disembarking on the 28th of February 1901.

The 2nd Australian Commonwealth Horse “D Squadron” was then formed on the 6th of January 1902 and returned South African soldiers that were single and of good nature, were invited to join.

Albert had recovered from his pneumonia so he enlisted on the very same day and was allotted the Regimental Number 1017.

They embarked from Pt Adelaide on the 20th of February on board Manchester Merchant, comprising of 5 officers and 116 other ranks, with 121 horses.
They disembarked in Durban on the 14th of March and proceeded by rail to Newcastle.
They took part in the operations around Newcastle and Botha’s Post until the 8th of April. They then marched to Volksrust and entrained to Klerksdorp and participated in operations from Klerksdorp to Devondale Siding as part of De Lisle’s Australian Brigade, in the last great drive of the war.

They then marched back to Klerksdorp and were included with the 2nd Battalion in the complimentary General Order issued by the Commander-in-Chief and also in the Orders by General Ian Hamilton and Brigadier General Thornycroft.
After this they marched into Elandsfontein and handed over their horses and saddlery and entrained to Newcastle and then onto Durban.

Albert embarked on board the Norfolf on the 5th of July, called at Albany, and disembarked in Largs Bay on the 31st of July and then his Squadron was disbanded on the 14th of August.

WW1

At the age of 40, Albert enlisted into the AIF on the 5th of January 1916 in Adelaide and was allotted the service number 2325 and posted to E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He listed his wife Sarah, of 7 Liddon Place, Portland, as his next of kin.

On the 17th of January he was transferred to the Base Light Horse in Mitcham Camp and then to the 3rd Light Horse, 16th Reinforcements on the 1st of February.

Albert embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A59 Botanist on the 26th of April 1916, disembarked in Suez and marched into the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment in Tel-el-Kebir Camp on the 29th of May.

On the 1st of July he was transferred to the 14th Company Imperial Camel Corps in Abbassia.
The 14th Company Imperial Camel Corps was absorbed into the newly formed 3rd ANZAC Battalion of the Imperial Camel Brigade on the 11th of November and by December they had made their way to the Sinai.

Their first large battle came during the Battle of Magdhaba on the 23rd of December. After a night march of 80km they surprised and surrounded the Turks who were over run after a hard fight.

They then moved into camp at El Arish where they spent Christmas Day 1916 and welcomed in the New Year.

The men of the Imperial Camel Corps had a rough reputation, largely because when the Corps was originally formed Australian Battalion commanders had seized upon it as an opportunity to offload some of their more difficult characters.
In January 1917 a British supply dump at Rafa was warned to double their guards as the Imperial Camel Corps was going to be camped nearby.

On the 8th of January Albert and his Corps marched to this camp near Rafa.

Just three miles south of Rafa the 2,000 strong Turkish force had constructed a defensive position at El Magruntein, on a rise known as Hill 255. Approaching Rafa on the morning of the 9th of January 1917 the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division and the 5th Mounted Brigade together with three battalions of the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade, including Albert, isolated the garrison by cutting the telegraph lines to Gaza. The New Zealanders were sent to the south with instructions to attack the Turks from the east and north. Meanwhile the 5th Mounted Brigade moved in from the west. At 7am artillery opened fire on the Turkish redoubts.

Advancing across open ground, the assault was held up as the Turks were able to maintain a high rate of fire; the British and Commonwealth forces began to run low on ammunition early in the afternoon.
Aware of the approach of a Turkish relief force, plans were made to fall back to El Arish. As evening approached several units launched final efforts against the Turks. Charging from the north, three New Zealand Regiments attacked the main redoubt on Hill 255, supported by the Imperial Camel Corps and the regiments of the Australian Light Horse. These attacks succeeded in overcoming the Turkish opposition who began surrendering.

Still concerned about the Turkish relief column, orders were given to begin falling back towards El Arish. The Turks became wary of leaving isolated garrisons on the Sinai frontier which resulted in them abandoning their positions outside Gaza.

Two days later Albert became unwell and was admitted into the camp hospital in El Arish for five days.

They remained at El Arish for the remainder of January and all of February and were often bombarded by hostile enemy aircraft.

Albert was then involved in the first Battle of Gaza which began on the 26th of March 1917. Two British infantry divisions were to attack Gaza from the south while the mounted troops of the Desert Column would attack from the flanks and north. When the attack was launched the infantry made slow progress but the mounted troops succeeded in capturing high ground to the north of the city and advancing into it. Concerned by the lack of progress made by the infantry, and fearing the water supplies vital for the mounted troops would not be captured that night, Lieutenant General Dobell, the British officer commanding the operation, ordered a withdrawal at dusk.
The next morning, after realising his mistake, Dobell attempted to resume the battle with the infantry, but with the troops exhausted and the Turks having received reinforcements, the attack floundered.

The second battle of Gaza took place three weeks later, beginning on the 17th of April and again Albert was involved.
In the interim the Turks had extended and improved their defences. Dobell launched another frontal assault on the Turkish defences, which was supported by six tanks and gas shells. The tanks and the gas were both dismal failures and the attacking forces could make little headway against well-sited Turkish redoubts. After three days of fighting the attack was called off, having not gained any significant ground.

Albert’s Corps suffered particularly heavily losses during this Second Battle of Gaza.

They then moved onto Weli Sheikh Nuran Camp and on the 5th of June during a hostile aircraft raid one of the Turkish bombs fell directly on a group of camels assembled for inspection by the Battalion's veterinary section. Twenty six camels were killed outright and another 15 had to be put down due to their injuries. In addition to the lost camels, two men were killed and another 19 wounded by the Turkish air raid.

Albert was one of these men that were wounded. He suffered a bomb wound to his right thigh and left leg which resulted in a Compound Fracture to his right Femur and left Fibula.

He was admitted into the camp hospital and then transferred to the 53rd Welsh Casualty Clearing Station in Rafa.
The following day he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital in El Arish and then transferred to the 24th Stationary Hospital in Kantara.

On the 11th he was transferred to the 14th Australian General in Abbassia where he remained for the next 5 months.

Albert embarked from Suez on the 12th of November on board HT Wiltshire, disembarking in Melbourne on the 17th of December and entrained to Adelaide the following day.

Albert was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 18th of June 1918 and awarded the British War and Victory Medals.