serviceyears branch commands death_date birth_place allegiance awards birth_date nickname rank article_title name
1905 -- 1946 royal navy kent 6 54 6 kempenfelt i18 6 ark royal 91 11 may 1950 -lrb- age 60 -rrb- alverstoke , hampshire united kingdom companion -rrb- naval aide-de-camp commander of the legion of merit knight of of the order of the crown of italy the bath mentioned in despatches -lrb- twice 13 october 1889 hookey vice-admiral cedric holland
 cedric swinton holland
cedric holland

cedric swinton holland cb -lrb- 13 october 1889 -- 11 may 1950 -rrb- 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 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 .
