Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

13th Light Horse Regiment, 2nd Reinforcement

6th Brigade - Australian Field Artillery at time of death. He was 32 

Previous military service-5 years in the 13th Light Horse.

Mother, Mrs Eliza Snell [Pope] Holland, Bunyip, Victoria-1863–1932

Father-John Holland 1863–1936

Enlistment date 3 June 1915
Rank on enlistment Acting Corporal

Age at embarkation 29

AWM Embarkation Roll number 10/18/2

Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A57 Malakuta on 10 September 1915
Rank from Nominal Roll Bombardier
Unit from Nominal Roll 6th Field Artillery Brigade

Family/military connections
Cousin: Killed at Gallipoli

Two Australian soldiers of the Great War were admitted to Ampton Hall with war wounds, and they succumbed to those wounds there. Ampton Hall, a Jacobean style manor house,  became known as Suffolk War Hospital. They were Sergeant William George Sydney Holland and Private Rupert Duffham Bussell.
 The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul is across the road from the hall but space prohibited interment of war casualties in the churchyard. Instead, all 9 casualties were interred some four miles away in Ingham (St. Bartholomew) Churchyard. Here there is a wargraves plot unusually containing a memorial Cross with 9 names inscribed on the plinth [almost illegible as at May 2020.

Inside the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul at Ampton is a memorial which was unveiled and dedicated on 15 November 1919 and attended by: Sir Courtenay Warner, BT, CB, MP. This memorial, on the north wall of the chantry, is a wide, rectangular plaque of marble, bordered in dark grey around a cream marble centre, which has a linear gold insert. The memorial bears the names of 40 men who were wounded but died whilst at Ampton Hospital.

The names are in four columns, but read horizontally by date of death, listing their rank, names, initials, unit and date of death. To the right of the plaque is a glazed frame depicting photographs of soldiers at Ampton Hospital.

REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING SOLDIERS, WOUNDED IN THE GREAT WAR, WHO DIED IN AMPTON RED CROSS HOSPITAL. EIGHT OF THEM WERE BURIED AT INGHAM FOR WANT OF SPACE IN AMPTON CHURCHYARD. THE OTHERS WERE BURIED NEAR THEIR HOMES .

"THE LORD GRANT UNTO HIM THAT HE MAY FIND MERCY OF THE LORD IN THAT DAY"

Buried with full military honours including a Firing Party and a Bugler.
The coffin - of good polished elm-was draped with the Union flag and surmounted with wreaths sent from the hospital staff from Ampton near Bury St Edmunds.
The Rev. Wickham of Ampton Vicarage,Bury St Edmunds,conducted the burial service,at the close of which "The Last Post" was sounded.
The grave was turfed and an oak cross was erected by the A.I.F London

 Siblings

Leslie Holland  died–1892

Percy Holland died–1913

John Albert Leslie Holland  1896–1957-also served.

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”

William George Sydney Holland was born at Bunyip, Victoria on 4th November, 1885 to parents John (Jack) & Eliza Holland (nee Snell). His birth was registered in 1886.

He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 3rd June, 1915 as a 29 year old, single, Farmer from Bunyip, Victoria.

Acting Corporal William George Sydney Holland, Service number 850, embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on HMAT Malakuta (A57) on 10th September, 1915 with the 4th Light Horse Brigade, 13th Light Horse Regiment, 2nd Reinforcements.

He was taken on strength with Composite Australian Light Horse Regiment at Heliopolis, Egypt on 20th November, 1915 & was made Temporary Corporal on the same day.

On 23rd December, 1915 Temporary Corporal Holland was to be Temporary Sergeant.

Temporary Sergeant Holland reverted to ranks on 19th January, 1916 upon disbandment of Composite Australian Light Horse Regiment & rejoined his original Unit – 13th Light Horse Regiment.

On 11th March, 1916 Private Holland was transferred to 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column at Heliopolis. He was appointed Acting Corporal & posted to No. 3 Section at Zeitoun on 13th March, 1916.

He was marched out to Alexandria from Zeitoun on 20th March, 1916 & embarked for Marseilles, France on Magdalena on 21st March, 1916. He disembarked at Marseilles & proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) on 27th March, 1916.

Acting Corporal Holland was transferred to 2nd A.D.B.D. (Australian Divisional Base Depot) at Etaples on 20th May, 1916.

He was appointed Acting Corporal (E.D.P.)  (Extra Duty Pay) at Etaples on 11th July, 1916. His rank reverted to permanent rank of Gunner on 9th August, 1916.

On 18th September, 1916 Gunner Holland rejoined 2nd D.A.C. (Divisional Ammunition Column) in the field.

Gunner Holland was mustered as Driver while in the field on 11th November, 1916.

On 28th January, 1917 Driver Holland was transferred to 6th F.A.B. Ammunition Column. He was taken on strength with 6th Army Field Artillery Brigade & posted to B. A. Column on 1st February, 1917.

He was appointed Acting Bombardier (without pay) on 7th June, 1917.

Acting Bombardier Holland was posted to 17th Battery on 12th October, 1917.

On 30th October, 1917 Acting Bombardier Holland was on leave to UK & rejoined from leave on 11th November, 1917.

He was promoted to Temporary Bombardier on 11th November, 1917, vice T/Bdr Chapman evacuated.

Temporary Bombardier Holland was promoted to Bombardier on 20th December, 1917 to complete establishment. He was promoted to Temporary Corporal while in France on 20th December, 1917, vice Corporal Lee promoted.

On 21st January, 1918 Temporary Corporal Holland reverted to rank of Bombardier on return of Corporal Weller.

He was promoted to Corporal on 20th February, 1918, vice Lee promoted.

Corporal Holland was promoted to Temporary Sergeant on 28th June, 1918 vice Sergeant Brain evacuated sick. He reverted back to Corporal on 10th August, 1918 on return of Sergeant Lee from Hospital.

On 14th September, 1918 Corporal Holland was promoted to Temporary Sergeant Sergeant Lee returned to Australia.

Temporary Sergeant William George Sydney Holland was wounded with Gas on 18th October, 1918. He was taken to 41st Casualty Clearing Station on 19th October, 1918 suffering effects of a Gas Shell. He was transferred to 22nd General Hospital at Camiers on 20th October, 1918 & placed on A.T. 48 (Ambulance Train) on 25th October, 1918. Temporary Sergeant Holland’s rank reverted to Corporal on being wounded in France on 19th October, 1918. Corporal Holland embarked for England on Hospital Ship Princess Elizabeth on 26th October, 1918.

On 27th October, 1918 Corporal Holland was admitted to Suffolk Ampton Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds, England suffering from effects of being Gassed & Broncho Pneumonia. He was reported as dangerously ill.

Corporal William George Sydney Holland died at 3 am on 1st November, 1918 at Ampton Hall Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk  from Gas Shell poisoning and Bronchial Pneumonia.

He was buried in St. Bartholomew Churchyard, Ingham, Suffolk   and has a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)

https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/ingham.html