Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Private J. Holness, Royal Marines, a veteran of the Defence of Antwerp 1914 and the Gallipoli campaign, before serving as part of the Storming Party during the famous Zeebrugge Raid, 22-23 April 1918, after which he participated in the ballot for the Victoria Cross

1914 Star, with clasp (Ch.12181 Pte. J. Holness, R.M. Brigade); British War and Victory Medals (Ch.12181 Pte. J. Holness. R.M.L.I.) mounted for display, generally good very fine (3) £400-£500

John Holness was born in Deal, Kent, in November 1881. He enlisted in the Chatham Division of the Royal Marines at Deal in January 1901. Holness served with the Royal Marine Brigade at the Defence of Antwerp in 1914, and then in Gallipoli. He was posted to the 4th Royal Marine Battalion on 6 April 1918 for the forthcoming Zeebrugge and Ostend Raids.

The Zeebrugge Raid, 22-23 April 1918
On 23 April 1918, St. George’s Day, the joint operations on Zeebruge and Ostend harbours were carried out by the Royal Navy and the 4th Royal Marines - their aim being to block the Bruges ship canal at its entrance, Zeebrugge harbour, and to block the entrance to the Ostend harbour by sea whilst inflicting as much damage as possible on the respective ports and ultimately nullify their use as bases for German torpedo craft and submarines. H.M.S. Vindictive’s role was to arrive alongside the the Zeebrugge Mole and unload its storming party, thus acting as a diversion for the main objective- the blocking ships. The storming party’s role was primarily to capture the 4.1-inch battery at the sea end of the Mole, which if left intact would be a major threat to advance of the blockships. The vessels charged with providing a smoke screen began shelling at 11:40 p.m. on 22 April, and the Vindictive simultaneously began her advance on the Mole: ‘They literally poured projectiles into us. In about five minutes we had reached the Mole, but not before the ship had suffered a great amount of damage to both material and personnel.’ (The Great War, I Was There, article by Captain A. F. B. Carpenter V.C., R.N. refers).

At 12:01 a.m. on 23 April the Vindictive reached her station closely followed by H.M.S. Daffodil and H.M.S. Iris II. The storming and demolition parties, of which Holness was a member, disembarked and began their work on the Mole made all the more difficult by their losses prior to arriving,: ‘Captain Halahan, commanding the naval storming forces, who repeatedly told me this was to be his last fight, was shot down and killed at the outset. Commander Edwards, standing near him on the gangway deck, was also shot down and completely incapacitated. Colonel Elliot, commanding the Marine storming forces, and his second-in-command, Major Cordner, were killed on the bridge... Many others were killed or wounded. The death of so many brave men was a terrible blow. Nobody knew better than they the tremendous risk attached to their actions; the pity of it was that they should not have lived to see the success for which they were so largely responsible.’

Holness managed, along with the other survivors, to get back to the Vindictive and be clear of the Mole by 1:15 a.m. The blocking ships at the Zeebrugge end were in position and their task successfully completed by 12:45 a.m. 176 officers and men were killed in the attack, with 412 wounded. Such was the bravery of all those involved aboard the three vessels that Article 13 of the Victoria Cross warrant was invoked. This stipulates that, when a corps or unit so distinguishes itself as to make it impossible to single out individuals, crosses should be awarded by a ballot of those who survived. Two Victoria Crosses were awarded to the Royal Navy by this method, and another two to the Royal Marines. Under a further provision of Article 13, all those who did not receive the V.C. had their records of service annotated to the effect that they had participated in the ballot for the V.C., and Holness’s service record is thus annotated.

Holness was demobilised in July 1919, joined the Royal Fleet Reserve, and after the War resided at 7 Stanley Road, Cheriton, Folkestone.

Sold with copied service papers.