Title: Lancelot Holland
Content:  Holland joined, the Royal Navy's gunnery school at Whale Island, Portsmouth to start the 'Long Course' which would qualify him as a lieutenant (G). Having qualified as a gunnery lieutenant and gone on to take the advanced gunnery course at Greenwich, Holland spent the First World War in a teaching role aboard HMS Excellent. After the war he was promoted to commander on 31 December 1919 and captain on 30 June 1926. During the period May 1929 to February 1931, Holland was flag captain to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, aboard. From May 1931 to September 1932, Holland headed the British Naval Mission to Greece. He was subsequently flag captain aboard the battleship from July 1934 to July 1935.
Title: Lancelot Holland
Content:  After a stint as naval aide-de-camp to King George VI in 1937, Holland became Assistant Chief of Naval Staff and then, following promotion to rear admiral, commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron in January 1939. In September, following the outbreak of the Second World War, he was appointed Rear Admiral Commanding, Channel Force. He then became Admiralty representative at the Air Ministry. He was promoted to vice admiral, backdated to August 1940, after commanding Cruiser Force H during the Battle of Cape Spartivento on 27 November.
Title: Cedric Holland
Content:  Holland was gazetted on 4 April 1919 'for valuable services rendered in connection with the War'. For his services during the war he was made a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy. He continued an active career at sea, being promoted to lieutenant-commander on 31 August 1919 and serving as Squadron Wireless Officer aboard, based in the Mediterranean in 1920 during the Turkish War of Independence. Holland was advanced to commander on 31 December 1924, and between July 1928 and August 1929 he commanded on the China Station, during which time he visited ports in China, South-East 
Title: Cedric Holland
Content:  lieutenant-commander after the war, and was in the Mediterranean during the Turkish War of Independence. He graduated to his own commands shortly after, commanding a cruiser on the China Station, then a destroyer in the Mediterranean. He became a naval attaché in Paris shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, and remained in the position until April 1940. Recalled to Britain at the fall of France, Holland assumed command of the aircraft carrier, which he commanded during several actions and operations. He was prominent in the negotiations in the run up to the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir in July 1940, when the French fleet refused to agree to terms 
Title: John Vincent Holland
Content:  In 1917, Holland married Frances Grogan at the cathedral in Cork City. Together they had two sons: Major Niall V. Holland (d. 1944), who was killed in Burma during the Second World War and Norman J. Holland. He was seconded for service with the Indian Army in the rank of Lt. 31st Oct. 1919 On the 13th Nov. 1919 he was appointed on probation to the Indian Army as a Captain, an appointment that was confirmed on the 27th November 1920. In September 1922 he retired from the army. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Holland again commissioned, serving as administrative officer of the 79th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, then re-joined the Indian Army but was invalided out in 1941. He then took up a position with the Ministry of Food. In 1956, Holland and his wife emigrated to Hobart, in Tasmania.
Title: HNLMS Holland (D808)
Content:  ship collided in 1965 with the Danish ship MV Mayumba of Texel. 13 January 1968 the ship joint NATO STANAVFORLANT at Portland. In 1969 she attended a naval review at Spithead together with her sisters and, the cruiser  and the frigates  and. Holland participated in the NATO exercises Razor Sharp in 1969 and Northern Merger and Save Pass in 1974. In July 1976 Holland, together with the frigates, , , the destroyer , the submarine and the replenishment ship  visited New York in commemoration of the country's 200 years anniversary. HNLMS Holland was sold to Peru in 1978 as BAP Garcia y Garcia (DD75), which was taken out of service by Peru in 1986.
Title: Cedric Holland
Content:  Cedric Swinton Holland CB (13 October 1889 – 11 May 1950) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the First and Second World Wars, rising to the rank of vice-admiral. Holland was born the son of an admiral, and he followed his father into the navy, rising through the ranks and serving on a number of ships. He was serving at the rank of lieutenant on a cruiser at the start of the First World War. He saw out the war aboard battleships in home water and the Mediterranean, punctuated with time ashore, and with a special interest in signalling and naval communications. He was promoted 
Title: Cedric Holland
Content:  and Japan. His service in this region allowed him to attend the funeral of Dr Sun Yat-sen on 31 May 1929, and the annual Naval Regatta at Wei-Hai-Wei. He was promoted to captain on 30 June 1932, and in 1934 he took command of the destroyer, serving in the Mediterranean until 1936. Holland was a skilled French speaker and was posted as Naval Attaché for France, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Portugal from January 1938 to April 1940, and was the Head of the Naval Mission to the French Admiralty from the outbreak of war in September 1939 until April 1940.
Title: Cedric Holland
Content:  either surrender or disarm to keep their fleet out of German hands. Holland left Ark Royal in 1941 to become chief of staff to Lord Gort, and later director of naval communications at the Admiralty. He spent the last years of the war as principal administrative officer with the Eastern Fleet, having been promoted to rear-admiral and then vice-admiral. His distinguished service brought him a number of accolades; he was twice Mentioned in Despatches, was appointed a Commander of the Legion of Merit, a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy and a Companion of the Bath. Holland retired from naval service in 1946, and died in 1950.
Title: Arthur Holland (British Army officer)
Content:  Born the son of Major-General Butcher, Butcher changed his surname to Holland in 1910. Holland was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1880. He served in the Second Boer War and then became Assistant Military Secretary to the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta in 1903 before holding a similar role at the War Office from 1910. In 1912 he was appointed Commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He also served in World War I becoming Commander Royal Artillery for 8th Division in which capacity he took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915. In July 1915 he became Commander Royal Artillery for VII Corps and in September 1915 he was appointed General Officer Commanding 1st Division. He continued his war service as Commander Royal Artillery for 3rd Army from June 1916 and as General Officer Commanding I Corps from February 1917 before retiring in 1920.

Question: when did holland become involved in world war 2?
Answer: 15 May 1940.
10 May 1940.