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Excerpt from Blood Sweat and Fears: Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australian who Served in World War 1. Courtesy of the Authors

Sydney Ernest Holder was born on the 22nd February 1890 at Kooringa near Burra, SA. He was the sixth child and third son of Sir Frederick William Holder and his wife Julia Maria nee Stephens. Sir Frederick was twice Premier of South Australia and the first Speaker of the House of Representatives. They lived at 50 Sydenham Rd, Norwood. Holder was educated at Prince Alfred College. He won a South Australian Scholarship to study medicine at the University of Adelaide in 1907 and was awarded Blues for tennis and lacrosse. He was also a devout member of the Methodist Church. After his graduation in 1913 Holder completed his residency at Adelaide Hospital.

Holder enlisted in the AIF on the 7th July 1916. He was commissioned as a captain in the AAMC on the 13th September 1916.  He married Dorothy Lillian Godlee at Kent Town Methodist Church, on the 28th September 1916. His wife of 38 Marlborough St, College Park, was named as his next of kin.  He was 5ft 10ins, weighed 12st 8lbs, and could ride a horse.  After 3 months of Camp Duty in 4MD, he embarked for the Middle East in January 1917. After spending two months with 1 LH Training Regiment, he was posted to 3 LHFA at Marakeb in April 1917.  He was transferred to 12 LHR at Belah in January 1918 and served with this unit until the end of the war. He contracted malaria and was evacuated to the 14th AGH. He returned to Australia in July 1919 with his appointment terminated at the 4MD on the 30th September 1919. He was issued with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Holder practised with Dr F L Thyer (SA Rhodes Scholar 1924) in Kadina, South Australia for about 25 years after the war. He became a town councillor, Medical Health Officer for the Kadina Corporation, and HMO for the Wallaroo Hospital. He was a prominent Prince Alfred College Old Collegian. He loved golf, tennis bowls and cricket. He was a member of the Repatriation Commission. Holder, in WW2, served as a major at 54 Camp Hospital, Loveday, South Australia and at 10 CCS in the Northern Territory. Sydney Ernest Holder died on Monday the 9th February 1953 at the Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park aged 62 years and was survived by his 3 daughters.  His son, Sydney John Holder, served in WW2 as a Flying Officer in the RAAF.  He was killed in a flying accident in England in December 1944 while on secondment to 271 Sqn RAF.  He is buried at Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Holder had two brothers who also served in WW1 Lieutenant Evan Morecott Holder and Lieutenant Clement Gladstone Holder.

Sources:

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=5844023

Likeman R., “From the Jungle to the Desert”, Slouch Hat Publications, 2012.

Photo, PAC Collection. NLA Trove.

Addition information re WW2 service from

Blood, Sweat and Fears III: Medical Practitioners South Australia, who Served in World War 2. 

Holder volunteered to serve in WW2, on 30th April 1942 and was promoted major, on 17th May 1942.  He was initially posted to 54 Camp Hospital in Loveday, South Australia. then subsequently posted to 110 CCS and embarked for Milne Bay, PNG on 12th March 1942. While Holder was in PNG, his wife, Dorothy, died, in Adelaide, on 6th October 1942. He was returned to Australia, on 27th December 1942, where he was allotted to 52 Camp Hospital. He was medically downgraded and sent to the AAMC 4MD and then transferred to 64 Camp Hospital, in January 1944.  Allotted as Rehabilitation Medical Officer in the SA LoC area on 5th October 1945, Holder was discharged on 16th July 1946, and placed on the Retired List.

Source

Blood, Sweat and Fears III: Medical Practitioners South Australia, who Served in World War 2. 

Swain, Jelly, Verco, Summers. Open Books Howden, Adelaide 2019. 

Uploaded by Annette Summers AO RFD

Born 22 February 1890 at Burra, SA
Son of Frederick William & Julia Maria HOLDER nee STEPHENS
Wife: Dorothy Lillian HOLDER nee GODLEE
Of 38 Marlborough St, College Park
Occupation prior to enlisting: Medical Practitioner
Enlisted: 7 September 1916
Embarkation: 16 January 1917
Age: 26 years
Served in the Middle East
Returned to Australia: 23 August 1919 per ‘Morvada’
Appointment Terminated: 30 September 1919
Died 09 February 1953 at Daw Park Repatriation Hospital
Aged 62 years
Survived by 3 daughters - his son was killed in a flying accident in England in the RAF in WWII

Death Of Dr. S. E. Holder

Dr. Sydney Ernest Holder, of Millswood, who died at the Repatriation General Hospital, Springbank, on Monday, aged 62, was a son of the late Sir Frederick Holder, twice Premier of SA and the first Speaker or the House of Representatives.
Dr. Holder was born at Burra and educated at Prince Alfred College.
On his return from World War I., in which he served with the Light Horse in Egypt, Dr. Holder practised at Kadina for about 25 years.

Chronicle Thursday 12 February 1953 page 2