George Holden

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The grave of George Holden, Port Said War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. Image courtesy Australian War Memorial.


Service no: 3779 [1]

Place of birth: Cargo, 1 June 1899

Address: Bowan Park, Cudal

Occupation: Farmer

Next of kin: Samuel Osland Holden (father), Bowan Park, Cudal

Date of enlistment: 3 October 1917

Place of enlistment: Orange

Age at enlistment: 18

Fate: Embarked RMS Ormonde Sydney 2 March 1918. Disembarked Suez, marched into Moascar 4 April 1918. Transferred to 1st Light Horse Regiment 1 July 1918. Admitted to 76th Casualty Clearing Station 2 August 1918. Transferred to 24th Hospital, Kantara, 5 August 1918. Transferred to 14th Australian General Hospital, Port Said, 6 August 1918. Discharged to duty 31 August 1918. Admitted to 47th Stationary Hospital, Gaza, with pyrexia, 28 September 1918. Transferred to 44th Stationary Hospital, Kantara, 29 September 1918. Transferred to 14th Australian General Hospital, Port Said, 30 September 1918. Died of disease 14th Australian General Hospital, Port Said, 17 October 1918.

Date of death: 17 October 1918

Buried: Port Said War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt, Row E, Grave 10



Born in Cargo in 1899, George Holden claimed to be 20 years old when he enlisted in Orange in October 1917. He was, in fact, just 18 years old.

George was the second of three boys born to Samuel Holden and Rosalind (nee Locke), who had married in Cargo in 1896. He attended Bowan Park School Public School and was working as a farmer prior to enlistment. He was also a member of the Bowan Park Farmers and Settlers' Association, who presented him with booklets of War Savings Stamps to the value of £3 10s prior to embarkation.

George embarked from Sydney in March 1918. He was stationed in Moascar, Egypt, where he was a trooper with the 1st Light Horse Regiment, 35th Reinforcement.

Trooper Holden was hospitalised in August and September 1918 with pyrexia (fever) and neurasthenia (hysteria). He was transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Port Said, where he died of malaria the following month, aged 19 years.

George Holden is commemorated on the Cudal District Honour Roll, the Cudal and District War Memorial Gates, the Toogong War Memorial and on panel number 2 on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

George is also remembered on a commemorative plaque in Orange Cemetery, Presbyterian Block 3, Grave 55.

George’s brother, Herbert Hamilton Holden also served in WWI; he returned to Australia in August 1919.

George Holden commemorative plaque, Orange Cemetery. Image courtesy Orange Cemetery.
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