Hubert Henry Holland

Rear-Admiral (retired) Hubert Henry Holland, C.B. (3 March, 1873 – 19 August, 1957) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Whittingham, Lancashire the son of Dr. J. Holland.

Holland was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1894.

The second class protected cruiser Sybille was ordered to Lambert's Bay to support the Army in protecting the Cape Colony from Boer commando attacks. On 9 January, 1901, Captain Hugh Pigot Williams landed with fifty men and two field guns, leaving Holland in command of the cruiser. On the night of 15 January, Holland elected to take the ship to sea when she began dragging her anchor. The weather abated before too long, and so he brought her back to the anchorage from the south, but he struck rocks and became stuck at 2:30am. Holland fired signal shots from the 4.7-in guns and released oil to calm the water enough to launch boats. At 8:30, a tug and a trawler arrived, joined later by the City of Cambridge and the torpedo cruiser Tartar. Collectively the men were removed by lifeline, though one man was fatally injured in the effort. The ship was to become a total loss under the action of the sea, though much of her stores and equipment was salvaged.

A Court Martial concluded that Lieutenant Holland had not allowed for the strong current. He was dismissed the ship and was penalised two years' seniority, as was navigating lieutenant Cayley. Sub-lieutenant Street and Gunner Tapper also received severe reprimands in the accident.

Holland was appointed to the armoured cruiser Nelson as first officer from 3 July 1905 to 23 July 1909. During this appointment, in 1906 a Court of Enquiry faulted Holland for permitting a stoker/prisoner to escape from Tripnor [?] Range with rifle amunition.

Freshly appointed in command of the torpedo gunboat Circe in July 1909, he carried out minesweeping exercises, earning a favourable report from Captain Greatorex. Promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1910, he fouled a buoy in February 1911 but remained in command of the Circe gaining minesweeping experience until January, 1912 when he was appointed for three years as Assistant to the Inspecting Captain of Mine Sweeping Vessels.

Holland rendered "good service" to Lilac when she was mined in August and was promoted to the rank of Captain in September, 1915.

When the war ended, Holland was appointed in command of Mine Clearance operations in Area II. This work wrapped up on 5 August, 1919.

Holland retired 12 July, 1922. In 1923, he revised the Seamanship Manual.

Holland was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List on August, 1926.

Holland published Shakespeare Through Oxford Glasses in 1923 and Shakespeare, Oxford and Elizabethan Times in 1933. He died at Tavistock at age 84.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Stanley B. Norfolk	Captain of H.M. T.B. 68 11 Jul, 1893 – c. 20 Aug, 1893[Inference]	Succeeded by George A. Rooke
Preceded by Rafe G. Rowley-Conwy	Captain of H.M.S. Circe 23 Jul, 1909 – Jan, 1912[Inference]	Succeeded by Percy G. Brown
Preceded by ?	Assistant to the Inspecting Captain of Mine Sweeping Vessels 8 Jan, 1912	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Gerald H. Thomson	Captain of H.M.S. Godetia 26 Mar, 1916 – 6 Dec, 1918[Inference]	Succeeded by Charles E. Aglionby
Preceded by Cyril H. G. Benson	Senior Officer, First Fleet Sweeping Flotilla 4 Feb, 1917 – Nov, 1918	Succeeded by Charles E. Aglionby