Dvr George Henry Cameron Holding 1555 (1748)

[ghch1555]

100 years ago today my Grandfather George Holding spent his 17th birthday at Gallipoli, somewhere on the front line between Steele's Post and Brown Dip.

He had enlisted in Nov 1914 at the age of 16 years and 3 months (lying on his enlistment and stating his age as 19 years and 3 months).

He served with the 4th Reinforcements to the 8th Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade, AIF 1st Division whilst at Gallipoli. When he went on to France he transferred to the Australian Artillery, first with the 55th Battery, 14th Field Artillery Brigade, AIF 5th Division and then later with his brother Norman in the 31st Battery, 8th Field Artillery Brigade, AIF 3rd Division.

Having survived the war, he returned to Australia in 1919 and settled on a farm in Victoria, Australia. George had four children, nine grandchildren, seventeen great grandchildren and one great great grandson.

In 1965, he returned to Gallipoli with a 50th Anniversary Pilgrimage RSL tour.

Earlier this month my eldest daughter (George's great granddaughter) turned 15 years of age. In the modern world it's hard to imagine her or one of her friends doing the kind of things their great grandparents did at much the same age.

Although I've only recently joined GWF, I have used it as a great reference over the past 18 months as I have researched my grandfathers (and other WW1 relatives) First World War stories. This is my first post - I thought it was quite timely given the date.

George Henry Cameron Holding

19/8/1898 - 2/10/1970

Lest We Forget