Name: William Desmond Holden Rank: Gunner Service No: F/7072 Regiment: Royal Canadian Artillery Date of Birth: June 4, 1915 Place of Birth: Yarmouth, NS Date of Enlistment: October 3, 1939 Place of Enlistment: Yarmouth, NS Address At Enlistment: Brown St., Yarmouth, NS Age at Enlistment: 24 Height: 5 feet, 7½ inches Complexion: Fair Eyes: Blue Hair: Dark Trade: Labourer Marital Status: Married Religion: Anglican Next of Kin: Hattie Agnes Holden (Wife) Brown St., Yarmouth, NS Date of Death: May 7, 1942 Age at Death: 26 Cemetery: Gander War Cemetery (Newfoundland, Canada) Grave Reference: Plot 4. Row 7. Grave 16. Commemorated on page 82 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on February 22 The 59th name on the WWII list of the Yarmouth War Memorial Gunner William Desmond Holden was the only son of Barney Bernard and Gertrude (Kenney) Holden, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He was the husband of Hattie Holden and the father of Elmer Joseph, and Marjorie Gertrude. At the time of his death the family was living in Liverpool, Queens Co., NS. He served in Canada from enlistment to September 28, 1941 and then in Newfoundland from September 29 until his death. He served in Newfoundland with the 16th and 5th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RCA. He was admitted to hospital on April 26, 1941. Following appendectomy surgery he suffered a pulmonary embolism [blood clot that travels to the lung]. His official death record shows date of death as May 8, 1942. Some records indicate May 7 as the date of death. Sources and Information: Commonwealth War Graves Commission Canadian Virtual War Memorial