Royal Navy, HMS "Curacao"
Died on Active Service on Friday 2nd October 1942
Aged 32
Certamine summo: 'In the midst of battle'
Leslie was born in 1909 in Kersey. (Cosford Suffolk Q1-1909 4A:918). Son of Herbert James (Jabez) and Morie HOLDER (nee GLEED).
At the time of the 1911 census he was at Manor Farm, Kersey Tye,Ipswich, with his father Herbet HOLDER [36] a horseman born Semer, Suffolk, his mother Morie [37], brother Stanley [14], Caleb [12], Wilfrid [10], Eric [8] and Bertram [4] and sister Winifred [6]. His mother and all the children were born in Kersey.
In 1935, he married Sarah Elsie MORLEY [20] of Badwell Ash (Bury St Edmunds Q3-1935 4A:3137)
The probate office has their address as 9 Hunston Road, Badwell Ash,Suffolk
As with all WW2 casualties, unless the relatives can help, it is quite difficult to trace the history of these men due to confidentiality rules.
The Royal Navy Anti Aircraft Cruiser HMS Curacoa was escorting the RMS Queen Mary, which was carrying 15,000 United States troops onboard, and sailing ahead of her. They were close to the Irish coast, and the Queen Mary was zigzagging to avoid German U-boats. The Queen Mary collided with HMS Curacoa at a speed of about 28 knots and cut her in half. The Curacoa sank with 338 casualties. (28 survivors) 50.50N 8.38W.
16 casualties were taken to the Isle of Skye and buried in Ashaig Cemetery
The enquiry which would normally follow such an incident was delayed as not being likely to be in the public interest. However, the Cunard Shipping Company made an interim payment to the dependants of all those lost through this collision of £40, and after the war, an official enquiry held that the liner's Captain was entirely to blame for this great loss of life, and a further payment of £300 was made to each dependant.
Leslie Holder is commemorated on the Chatham Memorial, panel 61:1
Click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details
