Soldier, actor.
Born at Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1922, he enrolled as an Infantryman in the Second World War at age 17. After training and deployment to England, he was transferred to the Canadian Provost Corps as a Military Policeman. Throughout the war he served with a variety of Provost Companies including the 6th, 7th, and 9th, and 1 Field Detention Barracks. Rising through the ranks during his service in England, he achieved the designation of Warrant Officer Class I (WO I), and at an exceptionally young age of 24 was appointed the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 6 Provost Company.
In 1947, he returned to Canada as a Staff Sergeant and was posted to various locations, which included Halifax, Moncton, Ottawa and Wainwright, Saskatchewan, and successfully completed Criminal Investigations Training in Fort Gordon, USA. In 1952, he was again promoted to WO I and returned to a theatre of operations, this time in Korea. From Korea he travelled the globe, including to Japan and Hanover, Germany. It was in Hanover that he met his wife, Hanne-Lore, with whom he went on to have two children. Upon returning to Canada, he was posted to Canadian Forces Base Borden in Ontario; Churchill; and finally Winnipeg, after serving 26 years at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer.
In 1978, he retired with a distinguished career of 38 years serving his country in both war and peace. He was honoured as a Member of the Order of Military Merit, listing as his appointments four years as Regimental Sergeant Major of the Canadian Provost Corp School; nine years as Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) at Base Borden; Garrison Sergeant Major at Churchill; and Training Command CWO at Winnipeg. He was also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. In retirement, he served three terms as President of the St. James Legion (No. 4); was a lifetime member of the Masonic Lodge and served as worshipful Master of the St. James Lodge #121 and the District Grand Master of the First Masonic District; and maintained a Lifetime Membership in the 17 Wing Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess and in the Royal Canadian Legion. In 2007 the upper lounge of the 17 Wing Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess was named the Jim Holland Room in his honour. He was a Life Member of the Khartum Temple Patrol and a member of the Korean Veterans Association # 17, the Army, Navy, and Airforce Veterans #283 (ANAF), the Scottish Rite #32, the CFB Winnipeg Golf Club, and the Heathers Seniors Golf and Curling Club.
He also enjoyed belonging to the Actra Guild of Winnipeg, performing in roles in 14 movies, including Tracks of Glory (an Australian television mini-series) and The Arrow (a Canadian television series about the jet fighter plane, the Avro Arrow).
He died at Winnipeg on 26 September 2010.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 2 October 2010.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 9 October 2025
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