2393553 Private John Francis Holland was a 28 year old laborer originally from Cheshire, UK and living in Chicago, Illinois when he attested into the 48th draft to the 1st Central Ontario Regiment at Toronto in August 1917. In the summer of 1917 the 48th Highlanders conducted a recruiting drive in the US with parades in Chicago in July and New York and New Jersey in August. It is highly probable that Holland saw the Regiment in Chicago and joined shortly thereafter.

Following training in Camp Borden, he arrived in at West Sandling camp in the UK in December 1917 and was posted to the 5th Reserve Battalion. He was sent as a reinforcement to the 15th Battalion at the end of March 1918 and posted to No. 2 Company. He served in the April trench tours at Fampoux and Gavrelle and the July tour at Telegraph Hill and suffered a GSW to the neck during the battle of Amiens in early August. Following medical treatment he rejoined the battalion in October and took part in the final pursuit of the Germans until The Armistice in November. He was with the battalion for the March to the Rhine and the Occupation of Germany at the Engelskirchen bridgehead outpost line in December 1918-January 1919. The battalion departed Germany on January 7th and moved to Bas-Oha, Belgium to await embarkation to the UK.

While in Bas-Oha, Private Holland contracted influenza and died of bronchial pneumonia at No. 50 Casualty Clearing Station. He is buried in Huy (La Sarte) Communal Cemetery.