Cedric Swinton Holland, RN
| Born | 13 Oct 1889 |
| Ranks
Retired: 1 Jun 1945 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for Cedric Swinton Holland, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Ark Royal (91) | Capt. | Aircraft Carrier | 20 Apr 1940 | 18 Apr 1941 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Aircraft Carrier HMS Ark Royal (91)
25 May 1940
Around 1615A/25, the aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral L.V. Wells, CB, DSO, RN) and HMS Furious (Capt. T.H. Troubridge, RN) departed Scapa Flow to replenish at Greenock. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Antelope (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, RN), HMS Amazon (Lt.Cdr. N.E.G. Roper, RN), HMS Campbell (Lt.Cdr. R.M. Aubrey, RN), HMS Volunteer (Lt.Cdr. N. Lanyon, RN) and HMS Viscount (Lt.Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, RN) and
They arrived in the Clyde around 1700A/26. (1)
30 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0545A/30, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral L.V. Wells, CB, DSO, RN) departed Greenock for Scapa Flow. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Acasta (Cdr. C.E. Glasfurd, RN), HMS Acheron (Lt.Cdr. R.W.F. Northcott, RN) and HMS Ardent (Lt.Cdr. J.F. Barker, RN).
They arrived at Scapa Flow around 0530A/31. (2)
14 Jun 1940
Around 1545A/14, HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral L.V. Wells, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Kelvin (Lt.Cdr. J.L. Machin, RN), HMS Escort (Lt.Cdr. J. Bostock, RN) and HMS Campbell (Lt.Cdr. R.M. Aubrey, RN) arrived at Scapa Flow. (3)
23 Jul 1940
Around 2200A/23, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral L.V. Wells, CB, DSO, RN), light cruiser HMS Enterprise (Capt. J.C. Annesley, DSO, RN) and the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN), HMS Foresight (Lt.Cdr. G.T. Lambert, RN), HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, RN) and HMS Escapade (Cdr. H.R. Graham, RN) departed Gibraltar to conduct and air attack on the harbour of Bordeaux.
During 24 July an A/S patrol was maintained by two Swordfish aircraft between 0550A/24 and 2100A/24.
At 2110A/24, HMS Forester was detached to return to Gibraltar.
At 0100A/25, Admiralty message 2355A/24 was received ordering the cancellation of the the attack on Bordeaux and that the force was to be in position 38°16'N, 12°28'W and then conduct an all round search to a depth of 120 miles looking for enemy merchant vessels. Course was altered accordingly. No merchant vessels were however located by this search. Course was then set to return to Gibraltar.
During the day, an A/S patrol of two Swordfish was kept up between 0545A/25 and 2100A/25.
At 0700A/26, nine Swordfish aircraft carried out an all round search to a depth of 120 miles from position 35°08'N, 11°30'W. No suspicious vessels were sighted.
A/S patrols were maintained throughout the day on the 26th from 0545A/26 onwards.
At 0800A/27, the destroyer HMS Vidette (either Cdr.(Retd.) D.R. Brocklebank, RN or Lt. E.N. Walmsley, RN) joined.
On the 27th A/S patrols were maintained from dawn onwards.
The force returned to Gibraltar around noon on the 27th. (4)
6 Sep 1940
The battleships HMS Barham (Capt G.C. Cooke, RN), HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN), aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) and the destroyers HMS Inglefield (Capt. P. Todd, DSO, RN), HMS Greyhound (Cdr. W.R. Marshall A'Deane, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN), HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, RN), HMS Foresight (Lt.Cdr. G.T. Lambert, RN), HMS Fortune (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO, RN), HMS Fury (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Robinson, RN), HMS Eclipse (Lt.Cdr. I.T. Clark, RN) and HMS Escapade (Cdr. H.R. Graham, DSO, RN) departed Gibraltar for Freetown / Operation Menace. The destroyer HMS Echo (Cdr. S.H.K. Spurgeon, DSO, RAN) was unable to sail with them but sailed later so as to overtake the force and join them at sea.
[For more info see the event ' Operation Menace, the attack on Dakar, 23-24 September 1940, Part I, initial movements of the Allied naval forces ' for 28 August 1940.]
28 Sep 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1345N/28, HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) arrived at Freetown from operations off Dakar. (5)
30 Sep 1940
Around 0630N/30, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN), heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (Capt. R.R. Stewart, RN) and the destroyers HMS Greyhound (Cdr. W.R. Marshall A'Deane, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, RN) and HMS Fortune (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO, RN) departed Freetown for the Clyde.
Around 1900Z/3, the destroyers parted company to return to Freetown.
At 1525A/4, HMS Ark Royal flew off seven Swordfish aircraft for an air search on the line Azores - Cape Finisterre as reports had been received about a possible German invasion of the Azores. The aircraft returned about two hours later having seen nothing.
Around 2200A/4, HMAS Australia parted company to patrol off the Azores. HMS Ark Royal now proceeded on unescorted.
Around 0830A/6, HMS Ark Royal made rendezvous with the aircraft carrier HMS Argus (Capt. E.G.N. Rushbrooke, DSC, RN) and the destroyers HMS Havelock (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Thomas, RN and HMS Highlander (Cdr. W.A. Dallmeyer, RN). Shortly afterwards the destroyers HMS Hurricane (Lt.Cdr. H.C. Simms, RN) and a little later HMS Harvester (Lt.Cdr. C.M. Thornton, RN) also joined company.
Around 2200Z/6, HMS Harvester was detached to go to the aid of the torpedoed British tanker British General. She did however not sight the tanker and the ship was lost with the entire crew.
Around 0500A/8, HMS Argus parted company and proceeded up the Clyde to Greenock taking HMS Hurricane with her.
HMS Ark Royal arrived at Liverpool in the afternoon where she was then immediately docked in the Gladstone Dry Dock for a refit. She had flown off all her aircraft during the day.
HMS Havelock and HMS Highlander then went on to Plymouth where they arrived later on the 8th as did HMS Harvester. (6)
29 Oct 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) is undocked and then departed Liverpool around 1100A/29 for the Clyde. En-route some aircraft were flown on.
She arrived in the Clyde around 0030A/30. (7)
31 Oct 1940
The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) landed on her aircraft while underway in the Clyde area. One Fulmar crashed into the sea, it's crew being rescued by the destroyer HMS Duncan (Cdr. A.D.B. James, RN).
Around 1300A/31, HMS Ark Royal, light cruiser HMS Glasgow (Capt. H. Hickling, RN), destroyers HMS Isis (Cdr. C.S.B. Swinley, DSC, RN), HMS Foxhound (Cdr. G.H. Peters, DSC, RN), HMS Duncan and the troop transport Pasteur (British, 29253 GRT, built 1938) departed the Clyde for Gibraltar.
Around 0815A/5, they were joined by the heavy cruiser HMS Berwick (Capt. G.L. Warren, RN).
Around 0900A/5, they were joined by the destroyers HMS Wishart (Cdr. E.T. Cooper, RN) and HMS Vidette (Lt. E.N. Walmsley, RN).
Around 0930A/5, HMS Ark Royal parted company to proceed ahead of the other ships to Gibraltar escorted by HMS Wishart and HMS Vidette. They arrived at Gibraltar around 1345A/6. Vice-Admiral J.F. Somerville, KCB, DSO, RN then hoisted his flag in HMS Ark Royal.
Around 1500A/6, HMS Berwick and HMS Glasgow arrived at Gibraltar.
Around 1700A/6, the Pasteur, HMS Isis, HMS Foxhound and HMS Duncan arrived at Gibraltar. (8)
13 Nov 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Vice-Admiral J.F. Somerville, KCB, DSO, RN, transferred his flag from HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) to HMS Renown (Capt. C.E.B. Simeon, RN). (9)
8 Dec 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0800A/8, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) departed Gibraltar for flying training in the Atlantic. During the battle of Spartivento it had become apparent that her Swordfish pilots lacked training in torpedo attacks on fast moving warships. During the flying training HMS Ark Royal was escorted by the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN), HMS Firedrake (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Norris, DSC, RN) and HMS Fury (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Robinson, RN).
They returned to Gibraltar around 1330A/11. (10)
3 Mar 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1400A/3, the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (Capt. C.S. Holland, RN) departed Gibraltar for flying exercises in the Alboran Sea. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Fortune (Lt.Cdr. E.N. Sinclair, RN) and HMS Duncan (Lt.Cdr. A.N. Rowell, RN).
They returned to Gibraltar around 1640A/4. (11)
Sources
- ADM 53/111433 + ADM 53/112269
- ADM 53/111433
- ADM 53/111434
- ADM 53/111435 + ADM 199/391
- ADM 53/111437
- ADM 53/111437 + ADM 53/111438 + Reports of proceedings of HMAS Australia for September and October 1940
- ADM 53/111438
- ADM 53/111438 + ADM 53/111439 + ADM 53/111568 + ADM 53/112300 + ADM 53/112301
- ADM 53/111439 + ADM 53/113078
- ADM 53/111440 + ADM 199/392
- ADM 53/113627
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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