Cobalt in Timiskaming District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Major Holland, VC Park

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2022

1. Major Holland, VC Park Marker

Inscription.
The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 44 and the Town of Cobalt dedicate this park to honour the courage and bravery shown by Edward James Gibson Holland, who, on November 7, 1900 at Leliefontein, South Africa, kept the Boers at bay using his colt machine gun. In danger of capture, Holland detached the gun from its carriage and carried it off to safety. For this outstanding valour, Holland, then a Sergeant with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, was awarded the Commonwealth’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross.

He was born in Ottawa in 1878, worked throughout Northern Ontario following his WW1 service, and was Postmaster in Cobalt, Ontario from 1931 until his death in 1948.

Lest We Forget

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II • Wars, Non-US. In addition, it is included in the Victoria Cross and George Cross Recipients series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 7, 1900.

Location. 47° 23.765′ N, 79° 41.133′ W. Memorial is in Cobalt, Ontario, in Timiskaming District. It is at the intersection of Silver Street

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and Lang Street, on the right when traveling north on Silver Street. The marker is near the center of the park which occupies the southeast corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 29 Silver Street, Cobalt ON P0J 1C0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Northeastern Ontario

and specifically in Northern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Great North Woods,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Historic Prospect Avenue / L'avenue Prospect historique (within shouting distance of this marker); Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (within shouting distance of this marker); The Coniagas #4 Shaft / Le puits de mine n°4 de la Coniagas (within shouting distance of this marker); Tripod Drill (within shouting distance of this marker); Cobalt Mining / L’exploitation Minière de Cobalt

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2022

2. Major Holland, VC Park Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); Slusher and Scraper (within shouting distance of this marker); Mucking Machine or Overshot Loader (within shouting distance of this marker); Bar and Arm Drill (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cobalt.

Also see . . .
1. Edward James Gibson Holland (1878-1948) (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: Canadian soldier who won the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, for his actions during the Battle of Leliefontein during the Second Boer War.
At the start of the Second Boer War, Holland, at 22 years of age, enlisted as a sergeant in The Royal Canadian Dragoons. He was one of three men from his regiment who were awarded the VC during a desperate rearguard action on 7 November 1900 at the Battle of Leliefontein near the Komati River. (The others were Lieutenant Hampden Cockburn and Lieutenant Richard Turner.)
During a dramatic retreat in the face of a superior force, Turner and Cockburn commanded a small group of men tasked with repulsing a large
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 2, 2022

3. Major Holland, VC Park
The Major Holland marker is on the right. World War I & II memorials are on the left.
force of Boers at close range to prevent two 12-pound field guns from being captured. During the action, Holland helped to hold back the Boers using a Colt machine gun mounted on a carriage between the two guns. However, when the Colt machine gun overheated and jammed, Holland was unwilling to let it fall into the hands of the Boers. Realizing that the horse that pulled the machine gun carriage was too exhausted to outrun the Boers, Holland quickly detached the hot weapon from the carriage, caught and mounted a nearby horse and rode from the scene with the machine gun under his arm.
His citation for the Victoria Cross was published in The London Gazette of 23 April 1901:
Sergeant Holland did splendid work with his Colt gun, and kept the Boers off the two 12-pounders by its fire at close range. When he saw the enemy were too near for him to escape with the carriage, as the horse was blown, he calmly lifted the gun off and galloped away with it under his arm.

(Submitted on July 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Major Holland VC Park.

Excerpt: Major Holland was born in Ottawa, Ontario on 2 February
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1878 and served with the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He received the Victoria Cross for his actions during the South African War. After he returned to Canada, Major Holland received a commission as an officer in his old Militia unit, the 5th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards. During the First World War he commanded a Motor Machine Gun Battery, serving in France with the Canadian Expeditionary Force for one year. Holland relocated to Cobalt sometime after the war to become the postmaster. He resided in the community until his death in June 1948.

(Submitted on July 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 6, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.