The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (NX7877) Private Roy Hollands, 2/3rd Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by , the story for this day was on (NX7877) Private Roy Hollands, 2/3rd Australian Infantry Battalion, Second World War.

NX7877 Private Roy Hollands, 2/3rd Australian Infantry Battalion
KIA 21 January 1941

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Roy Hollands.
Roy Hollands was born on 30 December 1917 in Berry, New South Wales, the son of Ronald and Elsie Hollands.

He attended Broughton Village School, and lived in Nowra with his parents and siblings Eric, Vada, Myra, Clementine, Iris, and Elizabeth.

Roy found work as a butcher and was well known as a rugby league player, earning the nickname “Chisel” for his peculiar tackling style.

Roy and his brother Eric, separated by two years in age, were virtually inseparable in daily life.

The pair enlisted together on 4 November 1939, with Roy naming Eric as his next of kin. The brothers were allotted to the newly raised 2/3rd Battalion and travelled to the newly-opened Ingleburn Camp to conduct basic training.

On 7 March 1940 the brothers embarked at Sydney for overseas service.

After further training in Palestine and Egypt, the battalion took part in its first campaign: the advance against the Italians in eastern Libya. Its first significant action was the attack at Bardia.

The assault began on the morning of 3 January 1941, breaking through the western face of the defensive perimeter, while a diversionary attack was launched on the southern side. The following day, Bardia was encircled and during the afternoon Australian soldiers entered the town.

By 5 January all resistance had ceased. One hundred and thirty Australians had been killed and 326 wounded, but they had taken over 40,000 prisoners, 400 guns, and 127 tanks.

The victory made big news back home, and the Australian forces received a cable from Prime Minister Robert Menzies saying “We are all proud of you.” In London, the Daily Express described the Australian soldiers at Bardia as “the cream of the Empire troops and the finest and toughest fighting men in the world.”

Bardia would change hands between the Allied and Axis forces throughout the Western Desert Campaign, but the pressing concern now was preparing for the assault on Tobruk, which began on 21 January, and would see similar success.

On the night of 20/21 January, ships and gunboats bombarded the harbour and Wellington bombers flew over to drown the sound of the assembly for the attack.

Covered by artillery, on 21 January the 2/3rd Australian Battalion attacked at 5:40 am, making their way through an area where engineers had disabled booby traps and begun to lift mines.

During the day, Eric was wounded by a mine explosion. Seeing his brother injured, Roy rushed to assist him, and was shot and killed as he tried to help his wounded brother.

Eric survived his injuries, and was discharged from the army in May 1942.

Today Roy Hollands’ remains lie in El Alamein War Cemetery in Egypt, which contains over 7,000 Commonwealth casualties of the Western Desert campaign.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, among almost 40,000 Australians who died while serving in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Roy Hollands, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Duncan Beard
Editor, Military History Section