Lieutenant-Colonel D.B. Holman
Rocky Mountain Rangers

Throughout the operation he displayed great coolness under shell fire and bombing and by his energy and devotion to duty set a fine example to his men.

(M.C. citation, 1 Feb 1919)

Born on 4 June 1896 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Douglas Black Holman was a decorated First World War veteran and staff member for the Soldier Settlement Board at Salmon Arm, British Columbia. He had enlisted with the 6th Canadian Mounted Rifles in March 1915 and served in France as part of the 5th CMR and the 3rd Canadian Division Signal Company. He received a commission in the Canadian Engineers and earned the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry in September 1918.

He relocated to British Columbia some time after the war as part of Soldier Settlement work and joined the Rocky Mountain Rangers before retiring to the reserve list. He was named second-in-command of the battalion when it mobilized in 1940 and by 1943, after a period overseas, had succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel J.E. Wood. Holman led the RMR as part of the 13th Infantry Brigade in the joint American-Canadian operation to Kiska Island of August 1943. Anticipating a Japanese occupation, the landings instead confirmed that the enemy garrison had already left.

Holman retired from the army in November and returned to his civilian post at Soldier Settlement Board. He died in Kamloops, British Columbia on 17 October 1960.