Education & Career :

Furniture Manufacturer, Belper (1914).

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Gallipoli Campaign was fought on the Gallipoli peninsula 25th April 1915 to 9th January 1916. in a failed attempt to defeat Turkey by seizing the Dardanelles and capturing Istanbul. Ill-conceived and planned, the initial effort by the Royal Navy failed to force passage through the Dardanelles by sea power alone. It was then realised that a land force was needed to support the project by suppressing the Turkish mobile artillery batteries. By the time all was ready the Turks were well aware and well prepared. Despite amazing heroics on the day of the landings only minor beachheads were achieved and over the succeeding 8 months little progress was made. Eventually the beachheads were evacuated in a series of successful ruses.

Despite Gallipoli rightly becoming a national source of pride to Australians and New Zealanders, far more British casualties were sustained, and these days the substantial French contribution is almost forgotten.

Detail :

Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1915: Death Date: 6 Sep 1915 Death Place: Gallipoli Enlistment Place: Derby Rank: L Corporal Regiment: Household Cavalry and Cavalry of the Line; Battalion: Derbyshire Yeomanry Regimental Number: 1811 Type of Casualty: Killed in action Theatre of War: Balkan Theatre

The Derbyshire Courier provides the context of of Wilfred'd death: " KILLED TWO DAYS AFTER PROMOTION. - Belper Yeomanry Sergeant's Death at the Dardenelles. Readers not only in Belper district, but much further afield, will learn with regret of the death at the Dardenelles of Sergt. Wilfred Holden, of the Chevin, Belper. The late sergeant was 37 years of age, and joined the Derbyshire Yeomanry soon after the outbreak of war. While on leave a few months ago he married an his death has come as a great shock to a wide circle of friends. The sad news was conveyed to the parents in a letter from Major G.A. Strutt who, after expressing his deep regret and sympathy, states: "Personally, I had the greatest admiration and affection for him. He was a good soldier in every sense of the word, and only three days ago had been promoted to lance-sergeant in recognition of his sterling qualities. Had he lived another week I foresaw further promotion for him as Quartermaster-Sergeant. I tell you this as I know you will like to feel that his qualities were recognised out here, wehre only the best men come to the top as they have always been at home. He died during the execution of his duties from a shrapnel shell, his death being absolutely instantaneous. He was in no way disfigured I am glad to say. You will be pleased to know that we gave him a proper burial and we will mark his grave. I shall attend myself as well as the Colonel and a few of his special friends; but the attendance has to be necessarily limited, as a group of five or six persons immediately draws shell fire. I cannot tell you how grieved I am to have to write this, or how deeply I sympathise with you in your bereavement."

The letter was written by Major George A. Strutt from Gallipoli, but another letter from Private Godfrey Ford, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Ford, of Belper, was also published by the Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal of the 2nd October 1915 and gives more account: "It was this morning in the reserve trenches, where we are supposed to be practically safe and rest, that Wilfred Holden, who, only two days ago, was made Sergeant, was struck down by a shell within two yards of me, and killed instantly. We had done 16 days in the trenches and had been working like [...]; in fact, our regiment has been highly complimented on their steadiness under fire, and especially for hard work. A most remarkable thing happened just as as we had finished Wilfred's grave. Sergt. Gillett (Belper) was in the act of placing the [...] when a shell burst immediately over us. It sent us all flying, and a piece came in the midst of us, but did not touch us."

Masonic :

After 1 year of war service register shows "Killed in action 1915".

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley