Lancelot Holland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lancelot Holland
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| Born | 13 September 1887 Middleton Cheney, Banbury, England |
| Died | 24 May 1941 (aged 53) HMS Hood, Denmark Strait |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1902–1941 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral |
| Commands held | Battlecruiser Squadron (1941) 18th Cruiser Squadron (1940–41) 3rd Battle Squadron (1939–40) Channel Force (1939) 2nd Battle Squadron (1939) Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth (1936–37) HMS Revenge (1934–35) HMS Hawkins (1929–31) HMS Vindictive (1929) HMS Kite (1916–18) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in Despatches Commander of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece) |
Vice-Admiral Lancelot Ernest Holland (born September 13, 1887 – died May 24, 1941) was a brave officer in the British Royal Navy. He became a Vice-Admiral. In May 1941, he led British ships in a big sea battle called the Battle of the Denmark Strait. His job was to fight against a powerful German warship named Bismarck. Admiral Holland sadly died when his ship, HMS Hood, sank during this battle. He stayed at his post until the very end.
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Lancelot Holland was born in Middleton Cheney, England. He was one of six sons and had one sister. His father was a doctor and also worked for a brewing company.
Holland joined the Royal Navy on May 15, 1902. He trained at HMS Britannia. After his training, he sailed to the Far East. He served on ships like HMS Eclipse and HMS Hampshire. He stayed there until August 1905.
Later, Holland became a gunnery specialist. This meant he was an expert in how to use and aim ship guns. He took special courses at HMS Excellent, the Royal Navy's gunnery school.
During the First World War, Holland worked as a teacher. He taught gunnery skills aboard HMS Excellent. After the war, he continued to rise through the ranks. He became a commander in 1919 and a captain in 1926.
From 1929 to 1931, Captain Holland was in charge of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. He served on HMS Hawkins. He also led the British Naval Mission to Greece for a year. Later, he was the captain of the battleship HMS Revenge.
In 1937, Holland became an aide-de-camp to King George VI. This was a special role helping the King. After this, he became Assistant Chief of Naval Staff.
In January 1939, Holland was promoted to rear admiral. He then commanded the 2nd Battle Squadron. When the Second World War began in September 1939, he was put in charge of the Channel Force. This force protected the waters around Britain.
Holland was promoted to vice admiral in August 1940. He then commanded the 18th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Sea. He led his cruisers in the Battle of Cape Spartivento in November 1940. By this time, he was well-known as a gunnery expert.
The Battle of the Denmark Strait
In May 1941, Vice-Admiral Holland was given a very important job. He was to command the Battlecruiser Squadron. His mission was to stop the powerful German battleship Bismarck. The Bismarck was trying to get into the North Atlantic Ocean. Its goal was to attack ships carrying supplies for the Allied forces.
Holland flew his flag on HMS Hood, a famous British battlecruiser. With the Hood was the new battleship HMS Prince of Wales. Several smaller ships, called destroyers, also joined them. Their plan was to find and stop the German ships.
On May 24, 1941, the British ships found the Bismarck and its companion, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. A fierce battle began in the Denmark Strait. At about 6:01 AM, the Hood was hit by a shell from the Bismarck. This caused a huge explosion that broke the ship in half.
Admiral Holland and almost all of the 1,418 crew members were lost. Only three sailors survived the sinking of the Hood. One survivor later said he saw Admiral Holland sitting calmly in his chair. He made no attempt to leave the sinking ship.
The Prince of Wales was also damaged but managed to escape. One of its shots hit the Bismarck's fuel tanks. This damage forced the Bismarck to head for occupied France for repairs. Admiral Holland was honored after his death for his bravery.
Family Life
Lancelot Holland was married to a woman named Phyllis. They had one son, John, who sadly died at the age of 18 in 1936 from a disease called polio.
The Holland family attended the Anglican church in Boldre, England. They placed a memorial there for their son. Later, a special chapel was dedicated to the crew of the Hood. Each year, a service is held to remember Admiral Holland and the brave sailors of the Hood. A pub in Banbury was even named "The Admiral Holland" after him. This pub was taken down in 2017.
