Cedric Holland 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 War s , 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 to 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 to 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 . Family and early life . Cedric Holland was born in Alverstoke on 13 October 1889 to Eva Williams and her husband Swinton - Colthurst Holland , who would rise to be an admiral . Cedric followed his father into the Navy , joining HMS " Britannia " as a cadet on 15 January 1905 , graduating as a midshipman on 15 May 1906 and going to serve aboard the armoured cruiser in the Mediterranean . He transferred to the battleship , also in the Mediterranean , on 3 September 1907 , and then to in Home waters on 18 February 1908 , where he remained until 14 September 1909 . Last years of peace and the First World War . Holland served for a period as acting sub - lieutenant , then was appointed sub - lieutenant on 30 September 1909 . He was promoted to lieutenant on 31 August 1911 . He served at this rank aboard the armoured cruiser , part of the Grand Fleet , based at Scapa Flow . He was aboard " Shannon " at the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 , and remained there until November 1914 . Holland served as flag lieutenant to Rear - Admiral Mark Kerr aboard between June 1916 and May 1917 , during her time in the Mediterranean as flagship of the British Squadron in the Adriatic . He served aboard for Signalling and Wireless Telegraphy duties with the Grand Fleet , from May 1917 until April 1919 . Post First World War . 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 Asia 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 . Second World War . Holland returned from his services with the French and in May 1940 took command of the aircraft carrier , which he commanded until May 1941 . " Ark Royal " participated in a number of key theatres of the war , and Holland commanded it during Operation Alphabet , the transport of troops from Narvik to Britain , numerous convoy escort missions through the Mediterranean , bombing raids on the Italian mainland , and the search for the German raiders " Scharnhorst " and " Gneisenau " . Mers - el - Kébir . Holland was particularly involved in the attack on the French fleet at Mers - el - Kébir in July 1940 . A British fleet , Force H , was despatched under Admiral Sir James Somerville to insist the French either demilitarize their ships or hand them over to the British , to prevent their capture by the Germans . Holland , as a French speaker with experience from his time as naval attaché in Paris , was sent to deliver the terms and enter negotiations with the French naval officers . He was taken into Mers - el - Kébir with the ultimatum aboard early on 2 July . Holland and Somerville were strongly opposed to the use of force , hoping that a show of strength would be enough to convince the French to avoid fighting . Apparently offended by Somerville ' s sending a junior officer to deal with him , the French commander , Admiral Marcel - Bruno Gensoul at first refused to meet Holland , and delegated his flag lieutenant , Bernard Dufay , to meet him instead . The negotiations dragged on for several hours , with the French unwilling to agree to terms . With French reinforcements reportedly en route , Holland tried to convince Somerville that the French crews were being reduced , and would sail to Martinique . But it was too little and came too late , the Admiralty pressed for a resolution and Holland was ordered to break off negotiations , and was taken back to his ship by . Twenty minutes after his arrival the British attacked , sinking several ships and badly damaging others . Staff posts and flag rank . Holland left " Ark Royal " in May 1941 due to health problems , and was replaced by Captain Loben Maund . He became Chief of Staff to Lord Gort at Gibraltar , having been appointed a Naval Aide - de - camp on 17 July 1941 . He was twice mentioned in despatches for his services commanding " Ark Royal " , gazetted on 27 June 1941 , and again on 2 January 1942 . He was with Gort until January 1942 , when he became Director of Naval Communications at the Admiralty , holding the post until November 1943 . He was promoted to rear - admiral on 6 February 1942 , early in this posting , and on stepping down as director , became Principal Administrative Officer for the Navy in South - East Asia . His appointment marked the first of its kind , and he held it until September 1945 , having been promoted to vice - admiral on 1 June 1945 . During his time in the Far East he was involved in planning and carrying out Operation Tiderace , the re - occupation of Singapore , flying his flag aboard . Post - war . Vice - Admiral Holland retired from active service in 1946 . The American government appointed him a Commander of the Legion of Merit for ' distinguished services to the Allied Cause ' , and he was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1945 . Vice - Admiral Cedric Holland died on 11 May 1950 at the age of 60 . Collections of his papers are held at the National Maritime Museum . Family and issue . Holland married Agnes Barbara Dillwyn - Venables - Llewelyn , the daughter of Sir Charles Dillwyn - Venables - Llewellyn , 2nd Baronet , on 15 June 1925 . The couple had two children , Katherine J . Holland , born in 1927 , and John Swinton Holland , born in 1928 .