TWO BROTHERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 95, 23 April 1945, Page 7

TWO BROTHERS

STRANGE MEETING ONE RELATED TO "MONTY" When Mr. D. Holdernesp, engineermanager of the Auckland Harbour Board, went on board the troopship bringing New Zealand troops back from the Middle East this morning, he was greeted by his brother, Lieu-tenant-Colonel William Holderness; M.C., Royal Sussex Regiment, who was last in New Zealand 33 years ago. Colonel Holderness, who is in military command on the ship as representative of the War Office, has another family connection which would assure him of a New Zealand welcome. His wife is a sister of Field-Marshal Sir Bernard MontgomeryBorn in Christchurch, New Zealand, Colonel Holderness was educated at Christ's College, and first held a commission in the North Canterbury Regiment. He was fortunate in securing one of the two commissions in the British Regular Army, which were then offered halfyearly in New Zealand, and was posted to the Royal Sussex Regiment, then serving in India. He served in the East during the Great War, and at the start of this was commanding a battalion in Egypt. From 1940 he was engaged in various training activities in Britain, and then was posted as War Office representative to various ships. He took part in the North African landing in that capacity. "Monty" Was Confident Though he admitted his connection, by marriage, with "Monty," Colonel Holderness declined to discuss him, as he said all he knew of Him was associated with his private life. He had not seen him, actually, since the beginning of the war. "He is a very efficient soldier, who demands efficiency from those under him," he commented. "The world knows all there is to know about his public life."

At the start of the war "Monty" was a major-general commanding the Third Division, he said, but even then he was confident he would go further. He was sure of himself as a soldier who knew his job.

Colonel Holderness revealed that two of Field-Marshal Montgomery's brothers were also serving in this war. One, Lieutenant-Colonel B. F. Montgomery, was in the Iridian Army, and another, a Church of England elergyinan, was an army chaplain on a Hospital ship. • Commenting on the New Zealanders. who, on this occasion, were being carried in his ship, he said they were "a magnificent body of men," and that their conduct had been excellent.