Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Private

Unit:

No.15 Platoon, "C" Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Airlanding Brigade, 1st Airborne Division, British Army

Awarded on:

November 9th, 1944

Awarded for:

Operation Market Garden

While his platoon was in a defensive position at Oosterbeek Church, Pte Holt was given the job of observer on the extreme right flank of the position. During his watches he kept constant vigilance and on many occasions, while the rest of the platoon was forced under cover by enemy mortaring and shelling, Pte Holt kept watch and observed enemy moving into position under the cover of this mortaring and likely attacks forming up. In spite of heaviest shelling and mortaring, Holt brought the information to Platoon HQ on the left flank and the likely attacks were broken up by MG and 2" mortar fire from the platoon.
On 23 Sep, during one of his stand down periods, Pte Holt observed a sniper attempting to infiltrate along a ditch on our right flank. In spite of heavy enemy sniping and MG fire, he left his trench, crawled over difficult and open ground and killed the sniper with his rifle.
During the whole period 18-25 Sep, Pte Holt was a most valuable asset to the platoon both from the point of view of morale under most difficult conditions and from the point of view of exemplary conduct in the face of heaviest enemy mortaring and shelling and small arms fire. His reports from his O.P. were most valuable in the successful defence of the Oosterbeek Church area.