Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

HOLLAND Walter Percival #5592 25th Battalion

Walter Holland was one of three sons born to Julius and Brenda Holland of Kangaroo Point. Walter attended East Brisbane State School and then Brisbane Grammar where he was an outstanding sportsman.

Walter moved to the Harlin district where he worked with his brother Kenneth on their dairy farm. Kenneth reported that Walter was the Upper Brisbane River Tennis Champion for several years before he enlisted on 2nd March 1916.

Walter reported to the recruiting officer that he was 38 years old. He gave his occupation as dairy farmer and address as Harlin via Esk. Walter was allocated as part of the 15th draft of reinforcements for the 25th Battalion. After six months in camp at Enoggera, the reinforcements boarded the “Clan MacGillivray” in Brisbane and arrived in Plymouth on 2nd November. They then marched into 4th Training Battalion at Rolleston. In December, Walter proceeded across the English Channel to the large staging camp at Etaples on the French Coast before finally being taken on strength by his battalion on 18th December.

During December 1916 and into January 1917, the 25th Battalion, as part of the 7th brigade of the 2nd Division AIF was engaged in fatigue work behind the lines near Bazentin. On 1st January 1917, Walter was promoted directly to sergeant. Quite remarkable for someone who had only been with the battalion for 13 days. Three weeks later, he was promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and was assigned as the battalion’s transport officer.

During the spring of 1917, the German forces on the Somme began a strategic withdrawal east to a heavily defended position which the British called the Hindenburg Line. The 25th Battalion carefully followed the retreating enemy through Bapaume and Noreuil. In May 1917, the 7th brigade was called up to mount an attack against the Hindenburg defences at Bullecourt, which like previous attempts, failed miserably. This marked the end of the Somme campaign for the 25th. The battalion returned to the rear areas in Belgium for rest, re-equipment and training for new objectives. Walter was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant while the battalion was out of the line.

In July of 1917, Walter was granted five day’s leave to Paris. In August, he was briefly seconded to the 7th Australian Army Service Corps before returning to his unit in time for the Battalion to be part of the Battle of Menin Road on 20th September followed by Broodseinde Ridge on 4th October. The campaign in Flanders, often referred to as the Battle of Passchendaele, had begun promisingly in July with subsequent gains at Menin Road and Polygon Wood. Late Autumn rains turned the battlefield between Ypres and the Passchendaele Ridge into a quagmire which brought the British and Dominion forces to a standstill by late October. Once the 25th was withdrawn to rest areas around Poperinghe, Walter began a period of leave in England for two weeks before returning to the battalion’s winter camp in time for Christmas.

It was evident to the British and French Field Commanders that the Germans would make a concerted effort to win the war by the summer of 1918, before the might of the USA
which had entered the war in April 1917 could recruit, train, arm and deploy two million troops to Europe. The Spring Offensives began in late March 1918 with the most threatening being Operation Michael which was aimed at the line between the British and French armies along the Somme. Michael advanced so swiftly that the British 5th Army broke into a confused withdrawal and the AIF Divisions in Belgium were hastily deployed to meet the German threat to the city of Amiens.

On 2nd April, the 25th battalion, in conjunction with the rest of the 2nd Division, were given orders to move to defensive positions between the German front lines and the city of Amiens. As Transport Officer, Walter worked tirelessly over a five day period. The four AIF Divisions that had been rushed to the Somme slowed the German advance and the recapture of the village of Villers Bretonneux on 25th April halted the advance entirely.

The Australian Corps Commander, Lt Gen John Monash, ordered his forces to maintain constant contact with the enemy through what he called peaceful penetration throughout May. Several positions held by the enemy overlooked the Australian positions and to drive the Germans off the high points would require a dedicated attack. One such troublesome post was at Morlancourt, wedged between the Ancre and Somme Rivers .

On 9th June 1918, the 25th Battalion moved up to the jumping off tapes in preparation for the artillery barrage that would shield them as they advanced on Morlancourt. During the advance, Lieutenant Walter Holland was reported to have been killed. The battalion war diary recorded that two officers and 41 other ranks were killed that day. He was buried at Hertly Military Cemetery with the Rev Gallop in attendance.

Walter’s brother Kenneth, as next of kin, received Walter’s personal effects which for officers included all uniform items (following the British tradition, officers were expected to purchase their own uniforms which became their personal property.) When medals were being issued in the 1920’s, the usual practice was to issue medals to father, mother, eldest brother, youngest brother in that order. Walter’s parents had died before he enlisted and his medals were issued to his elder brother Ernest; an accountant of Chatsworth Road, Greenslopes. Also during the 1920’s, the remains of soldiers buried at Hertly were reinterred at Ribemount Communal Cemetery. His brother Kenneth submitted an inscription for his headstone which read: ALL HE HAD HE GAVE TO SAVE MANKIND, HIMSELF HE SCORNED TO SAVE.