AdmiralSir Douglas Eric Holland-Martin,GCB,DSO,DSC &Bar,DL (10 April 1906 – 6 January 1977) was aRoyal Navy officer who served asSecond Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel from 1957 to 1959.
Sir Douglas Eric Holland-Martin | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Deric |
| Born | (1906-04-10)10 April 1906 London, England |
| Died | 6 January 1977(1977-01-06) (aged 70) Kemerton, Worcestershire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1920–1966 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Imperial Defence College (1964–66) Allied Forces Mediterranean (1961–64) Mediterranean Fleet (1961–64) Flag Officer, Air (Home) (1960–61) Second Sea Lord (1958–59) HMS Eagle (1953–54) 4th Destroyer Flotilla (1949–50) HMS Agincourt (1949–50) HMS Faulknor (1944) HMS Nubian (1942–43) HMS Holderness (1940) HMS Tartar (1939–40) |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Service Cross &Bar |
| Spouse(s) | Dame Rosamund Holland-Martin |
Naval career
editEducated atWest Downs School,[1] Holland-Martin entered theRoyal Naval College, Osborne, in 1920. He playedcricket for theRoyal Navy between 1928 and 1933,[2] including onefirst-class match against theRoyal Air Force atThe Oval.[3] He later played a first-class match for theCombined Services cricket team against the touringNew Zealanders atPortsmouth in 1937.[3]
On the outbreak of theSecond World War, Holland-Martin wasexecutive officer of thedestroyerHMS Tartar when his captain was taken ill and he was given the command. Later in the war he commanded the destroyersHolderness,Nubian andFaulknor.[2]
After the war, Holland-Martin became Navalattaché toArgentina,Paraguay andUruguay.[2] He was appointed captain of the destroyerAgincourt in 1949 and then Director of Plans at theAdmiralty in 1952.[2] He took command of theaircraft carrierEagle in 1954 and then became Flag Officer, Flotillas, Mediterranean in 1955.[2]
Holland-Martin was madeSecond Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1957 andCommander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet andNATO CommanderAllied Forces Mediterranean in 1961.[2] His final post was asCommandant of the Imperial Defence College in 1964.[2] He retired in 1966.[2]
Later life
editIn retirement, Holland-Martin was appointed to the honorary post ofVice-Admiral of the United Kingdom for a term and also served as aDeputy Lieutenant inHereford and Worcester.[4]
Family
editIn 1951 Holland-Martin marriedRosamund Mary Hornby, daughter ofSt John Hornby. Rosamund became chairman of theNational Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and was appointed aDame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1983 (however, she continued to style herself Lady Holland-Martin, rather than Dame Rosamund). The couple had a son and a daughter.[5]
References
edit- ^Old West Downs Society
- ^abcdefgh"Martin, Sir Douglas Eric [Deric] Holland-".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31246.(Subscription orUK public library membership required.)
- ^ab"First-Class Matches played by Douglas Holland-Martin". CricketArchive. Retrieved19 February 2019.
- ^"Hereford and Worcester 1974–98". Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved19 February 2019.
- ^Obituary: Lady Holland-MartinDaily Telegraph, 17 July 2001
External links
edit
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Second Sea Lord 1957–1959 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet 1961–1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commandant of the Imperial Defence College 1964–1966 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom 1973–1976 | Succeeded by |