Tribute To Father Holland

By H. Bitmead

EVERYONE, Europeans and natives alike, who lived in the Buna area of Papua, knew Father Henry Holland.

Although advanced in years, he laboured on in his district, making long and ardu ous journeys to visit his scattered people.

We who knew him, spoke of him as “dear old Henry,” and were irresistibly drawn to him by his outstanding simplicity and humility, and, above all, by his sincerity and goodness.

This old missionary, who had spent a long life in the service of the Anglican Mission, was stationed at Isivita, inland from Buna. With him was a missionary teacher, Mr. John Duffill.

A week before the enemy landing at Buna. I visited Isivita and heard from Father Henry’s lips his decision to remain at his post, no matter what happened. In quite simple language he told me that not for a single moment had it ever entered his head to leave his station.

“You know,” he said, “this is my sta tion. I am a missionary. I have been sent here by my Bishop. No soldier may leave his post- in time of danger unless commanded by his officer. The Bishop is my officer, and I am sure he will never order his men to desert their posts. We cannot go away because by remaining we might be in personal danger.”

Simple words from a simple man, but characteristic of his devotion to duty.

On Sunday, July 26. 1942. in a jungle hideout, I met Lieutenant-Colonel F Bender, of the USA Air Force. He had been badly wounded in aerial combat and forced down near Father Henry’s station.

When the wounded American reached the station the old missionary was quite

ready to hide him and care for him. but pointed out that the Japs were on their way to the station and were then but a short distance away. The wounded man refused to allow/ the missionary to add to his own peril by hiding him, and struggled on.

W/O BITMEAD has been in Papua for 10 years as a Travel ling Medical Assistant, and he was stationed at Buna at the time of the Japanese invasion of that area. He the Anglican mis sionaries w r ho elected to stay there well. He was captured by the enemy but escaped with the help of a mission boy ; later, he contacted two American airmen who had been shot down and assisted them to cross Papua to Port Moresby.

While on leave in Australia recently, he was married to Miss Ann Veronica Keenan, of Perth.

Father McEncroe and Father Lyons, well known in Papua, and Mrs. L.

Austen, of Sangara district, were present at the ceremony.

“When I left him,” said Bender, “the old missionary was quite calm, standing near his church awaiting the arrival of the Japs. He is a grand old man!”

What happened at the meeting between the Japs and Father Holland I do not know. I do know, however, that a few weeks later, the old missionary stood bound, on Buna Beach, and that his head was savagely struck from his body and there then died a fearless, old grey

haired missionary who, for more than 30 years, had lived and laboured for others.

NO one who was privileged to know this saintly old man, and to have witnessed his untiring efforts in the Isivita district, will ever forget him. His memory will live. Always with deep admiration shall we think of him as earn est and devout in faith; as sincere and simple in all his actions. He had re mained true to his trust to the end, and he too, like the Rev. Father Redlich, died because he preferred to risk death than to desert his post. He remained because he considered it his duty to remain; and because he remained he died.