The unique and exceptional Great War C.M.G., Boer War C.I.E., Chin-Lushai 1889-90...

The unique and exceptional Great War C.M.G., Boer War C.I.E., Chin-Lushai 1889-90 Expedition D.S.O. group of eleven awarded to Commander G. E. Holland, Royal Indian Marine

From his extended services in Burma in the 1880s to his appointment to Temporary Brigadier-General, Royal Engineers, with command of the Inland Water Transport in France in 1914-17, his was a life full of achievement and distinction

He even emerged in glory after the famous loss of his command, the troopship R.I.M.S. Warren Hastings, off Réunion in January 1897, when he was the recipient of a commendatory order issued by the Viceroy and Governor-General in Council of India and elected to honorary membership of the Officers’ Mess of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps ‘for his splendid coolness and courage’

The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, complete with swivel-ring suspension and ribbon buckle; The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, C.I.E., Companion’s breast badge, gold and enamels, complete with upper gold suspension brooch; Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels, complete with integral ribbon bar; India General Service 1854-95, 3 clasps, Burma 1885-7, Burma 1887-89, Chin Lushai 1889-90 (1st Gde. Officer G. E. Holland H.M. l.M.S.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 1 clasp, Natal (Commdr. G. E. Holland. Rl. Ind. Mar.); 1914-15 Star (Lt: Col: G. E. Holland. C.I.E., D.S.O., R.E.); British War and Victory Medals (Brig. Gen. G. E. Holland.) these officially re-impressed; Italy, Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, Knight’s breast badge, gold and enamels; Belgium, Order of Leopold I, Military Division, Officer’s breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Belgium, Croix de Guerre, mounted for display, enamel work chipped in places, otherwise generally good very fine (11) £5,000-£7,000
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Importation Duty
This lot is subject to importation duty of 5% on the hammer price unless exported outside the UK
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Provenance: Spink, October 1999, when sold with a C.B. (Military) neck badge in addition.

C.M.G. London Gazette 14 January 1916.

C.I.E. London Gazette 25 July 1901.

D.S.O. London Gazette 14 November 1890: ‘In recognition of services during the late Chin-Lushai Expedition.’

Gerald Edward Holland was born in Dublin in 1860 and was educated at Ratcliffe College in Leicestershire, prior to embarking on a nautical career as an apprentice in the Tyser Line’s Plassey in 1877. He was however discharged from his apprenticeship three years later, in order to facilitate his joining the Royal Indian Marine at Calcutta.

Having then gained advancement to Lieutenant, he witnessed extensive active service in Burma in the 1880s and, as a 1st Grade Officer, in the Chin-Lushai Expedition 1889-90, in which latter capacity he was awarded the D.S.O.

Loss of the Warren Hastings
Advanced to Commander in 1893, Holland was serving as captain of the troopship R.I.M.S. Warren Hastings at the time of her famous loss off Réunion Island in January 1897.

She departed Cape Town on the 6th, bound for Mauritius with 993 passengers, comprising the Headquarters and four companies of the 1st Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps, four companies of the York & Lancaster Regiment and 25 men from Middlesex Regiment; so, too ‘four ladies, 13 women, and 10 children’.

At 2.20 a.m. on the 14th, the Warren Hastings, eight miles off course, steaming at full speed, in pitch darkness and pouring rain, ran straight into the rocks on the coastline of Réunion. The ship stuck fast, allowing time for the troops to fall in below decks without noise and in perfect order. At 4 a.m. Holland ordered disembarkation to begin by rope ladders from the bows, intending not to disembark the women and children until daybreak. However, at 4.20 a.m. the ship began to list badly so he ordered the men to stand-fast while the women, children and sick were helped off the ship. Subsequently, as the position of the ship became even more critical, men clambered ashore as best they could, with many being saved from the sea by their comrades. By 5.30 a.m. all the troops were ashore. Later, some of the baggage was recovered. Miraculously, in an incident reflecting great credit on the discipline and behaviour of the crew and troops, only two lives were lost.

In his official report, Holland acknowledged two critical instances where the perfect discipline of the embarked troops prevented the perilous occasion developing into a major disaster. The first was the severe test which took place immediately after the ship struck, when the men - unlike those in the Birkenhead – were confined to the main troop decks and quite unable to see what was going on; and secondly, when the disembarkation was suspended to enable the women and children to be landed. Any attempt to crush forward at these times would have resulted, according to the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Garnet Wolseley, ‘in great loss of life.’

The survivors – in various states of undress – were at length conveyed to the town of Réunion by the French authorities, from whence they were embarked in a steamer for Port Louis, Mauritius. On their arrival they were entertained to dinner by the Governor, Sir Charles King Harman, an event which – on account of the loss of most of their baggage – presented ‘a most curious sight.’

Holland was of course court-martialled for the loss of his command ‘but received only a simple reprimand and this simultaneously with receiving a commendatory order containing warm praise issued by the Viceroy and Governor-General in Council of India for his fine conduct and saving of life.’ Likewise, the officers of the 1st Battalion, K.R.R.C. were equally impressed, granting Holland lifetime honorary membership of their Mess for his ‘splendid coolness and courage.’

The Boer War
During the Boer War in 1900-01, he served on the Naval Transport Staff in Durban, and as a Divisional Officer, Responsible for the preparation of hospital ships, he was otherwise employed as a the disembarkation officer during the heady days of the arrival of first White’s and then Buller’s force, services that gained him three ‘mentions’ and a unique Boer War award of the C.I.E.

White mentioned him in his despatch dated 2 November 1899 and Buller twice in his of 30 March 1900:

‘Commander G. E. Holland, D.S.O., Indian Marine, has also been employed at Durban throughout. His genius for organisation, and his knowledge of transport requirements is, 1 should say, unrivalled. He undertook the alteration of the transports which were fitted at Durban as hospital ships, and the result of his work has been universally admitted to have been a conspicuous success. I strongly recommend him to your consideration’ (London Gazette 8 February 1901 refers).

He next served as Principal Port Officer at Rangoon where he was responsible for a number of patented designs to aid the loading and unloading of ships.

On his retirement from the Royal Indian Marine in the rank of Commander in 1905, he settled in Holyhead, where he set about organising the Marine Department to improve its efficiency. He quickly gained the respect of the workforce - being both strict but fair in his dealings - and was involved in numerous local charities and organisations, including a term as President of Holyhead Football Club. The creation of the Holyhead Golf Club was also due to his initiative. In another good turn, during the Irish Goods Strike in 1913, Holland found work ...