| Regimental number | 978 |
| Place of birth | 62 Kimberley Road, Nunhead, London, England |
| School | Brockley Road, Crofton Park, London, England |
| Age on arrival in Australia | 16 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Occupation | Farm hand |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 19 |
| Height | 5' 9.75" |
| Weight | 154 lbs |
| Next of kin | Father, William Holden, 18 Manwood Road, Brookley, England |
| Previous military service | Nil |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Rank on enlistment | Private |
| Unit name | 10th Battalion, C Company |
| AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/27/1 |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board Transport A11 Ascanius on |
| Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
| Unit from Nominal Roll | 10th Battalion |
| Other details from Roll of Honour Circular | 'John Holden was the first man to enlist at Watervale and then his friend Oliver Ward decided to go with him. (Oliver Ward is brother to Mr Jim Ward, Farmer of Watervale).' Details from Father. |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Place of death or wounding | Gallipoli, Turkey |
| Age at death | 19.10 |
| Age at death from cemetery records | 19 |
| Place of burial | No known grave |
| Commemoration details | The Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 32), Gallipoli, Turkey The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey. The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank. The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here. |
| Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 59 |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: William and Mary HOLDEN, 18 Manwood Road, Brockley, England |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Gallipoli Embarked Adelaide, 20 October 1914. Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 2 March 1915. Killed in Action, Gallipoli, 25-29 April 1915. Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Sources | NAA: B2455, HOLDEN John |
Postal Address:
Po Box 7916
Canberra BC 2610, Australia
Street Address:
Northcott Drive,
Campbell, ACT 2600
