George Stephen Holder was born on 3 September 1872 in Dover, Kent, the youngest of the four children of Benjamin James Holder (b.1836) and Rosina Hannah Holder née Smith (1837-1919). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1872 in the Dover Registration District, Kent. When his father, who had been shown on the 1861 census as a railway servant, died, his mother married a Thomas William Harris (1833-1885).
In the 1881 census he was shown as aged 8 years and a scholar, living at 8 Radigunds Road, Buckland, Dover, with his mother and step father, who was described as a boot maker, his sister Rosa Holder - a scholar, a half sister Elizabeth Mary Harris (b. circa 1877) - a scholar and a half brother Thomas William Harris (1879-1945).
He joined the Royal Navy on 10 March 1890 as a Boy 2nd Class giving his date of birth as 3 September 1874 and his occupation as a labourer. His service number was CH/154330. After one year he was promoted to Boy 1st Class on 12 March 1891 and in the April 1891 census he was shown as serving on board H.M.S. St. Vincent, a boys training ship in Portsmouth Harbour, Hampshire. On 3 September 1892, his alleged 18th birthday, he signed on for 12 years in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman. He was rated as an Able Seaman on 1 April 1893.
He married Louisa Hanagan on 1 April 1899 at Holy Trinity Church, Dover. After service aboard a number of ships, at the end of his 12 years service he was discharged into the Royal Fleet Reserve for 5 years on 4 September 1904, service number RFR/CH/B.2078 and in November 1904 he was appointed as a Postman in London North District. When his five years service in the Royal Fleet Reserve was coming to an end he opted on 21 August 1909 to re-enrol for a further 5 years with effect from 4 September 1909.
Electoral registers in 1908 show him listed at 21 Conduit Place, Paddington, London.
On the night of the March 1911 census was shown as aged 38 years, married with 2 children and whose occupation was a postman. He was boarding in the nine roomed home of Edgar and Bertha Horton at 29 High Street, Old Brompton, Chatham, Kent. His two children at the time of the census were George Frederick Holder (b.1899) and Walter Thomas Holder (b.circa 1905).
Electoral registers from 1913 list him at 31 Market Street, Paddington.
On the outbreak of World War One he was posted H.M.S. Aboukir and on 22 September 1914 his ship was one of three old British cruisers that were patrolling the North Sea in support of a force of destroyers which blocked the eastern end of the English Channel from German warships attempting to attack the supply route between England and France. At around 6am the three cruisers were steaming at 10 knots in line ahead and they were spotted by the U-9, commanded by Lt. Otto Weddigen who ordered his submarine to submerge and closed the range to the unsuspecting British ships. At close range, he fired a single torpedo at H.M.S. Aboukir and broke its back. She sank within 20 minutes with the loss of 527 men including Able Seaman Holder who was aged 42 years. The captains of the other two cruisers H.M.S. Cressy and H.M.S. Hogue thought the Aboukir had struck a floating mine and came forward to assist her. They stood by and began to pick up survivors. At this point, Weddigen fired two torpedoes into the Hogue, mortally wounding that ship. As the Hogue sank, the captain of the Cressy realised that the squadron was being attacked by a submarine, and tried to flee. However, Weddigen fired two more torpedoes into the Cressy, and sank her as well. The bulk of the blame at the subsequent court of enquiry, was directed at the Admiralty for persisting with a patrol that was dangerous and of limited value against the advice of senior sea-going officers. As he was lost at sea, he is commemorated on panel 2 of the Chatham Naval Memorial, Great Lines, Gillingham, ME7 5DQ.
It was not until 3 October 1914 that his widow was notified of his death and on 5 November 1914 Royal Mail Pension Records shown that she was awarded his £100-1s-2d Royal Mail gratuity for his 9 years and 9 months service, first as temporary postman and as postman from 31 January 1905. The records also confirm his date of birth as 3 September 1872.
On 13 November 1914 administration of his estate was granted to his widow who was living at 31 Market Street, Paddington and his effects totalled £70-10s-0d. On 7 December 1914 his daughter, Mary Louise Holder, was born. He was posthumously awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'HOLDER, G. S.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1 and incorrectly as 'G•S•HOLDEN' on the Dover War Memorial, Garden of Remembrance outside Maison Dieu House, Biggin Street, Dover, Kent. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the A Street Near You website, on the Royal British Legion's Every One Remembered website, on the London WW1 War memorial website, on page 178 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance (1914-1920) and on the Dover War Memorial Project website (which has a copyrighted image of him wearing an H.M.S. Arethusa cap tally, a ship he had served aboard between 14 November 1899 and 3 April 1903).
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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