Jessie Macdonald married Adam Holland on 25th June 1914 in Glasgow, Scotland. She had attended grammar school on a scholarship and wanted to train to become a teacher. She was also an accomplished artist. In 1915 she had her first child, Isobel Morrison Holland; in 1917 Alistair Wilson Holland was born; and in 1919 or 1920 her third child Joan Macdonald Holland was born.
In 1919 Adam Holland sailed to Hong Kong where he was employed with the Public Works Department. Jessie joined him with the rest of the family the following year. Jessie's brother Joe Macdonald was to follow her path to Hong Kong in the 1930's, working as an engineer with Asiatic Petroleum. Jessie had one other sibling, George Macdonald, who lived in the Medway area and never visited Hong Kong. The family came back to the UK several times to visit relatives, her last return to Hong Kong was in April 1940.
At the time of the Japanese invasion she was living at 6 Minden Avenue, Kowloon. She was serving as an auxiliary nurse and was on the last boat evacuating injured military personnel from Kowloon on the evening of 11th December 1941 when she was struck by gunfire, either a Japanese bullet or gunfire from atop the Post Office building which had been taken over by 5th Columnists.
She died in QM Hospital on 12th December 1941 and was buried in a lair marked 10027 in the old colonial cemetery in a service officiated by the Rev Frank Short on 13th December. It is assumed that her husband Adam was present at the interment, he was interned in Stanley Camp early in 1942 and was killed in the Bungalow C bombing in January 1945. Attempts are being made to have her death acknowledged by the CWGC. The Hong Kong-based historian and author, Tony Banham, has described her as an unsung heroine.
The CWGC has this month( September 2018) made an entry in its records recognising the death of Jessie Holland who was serving as an auxiliary nurse when she was killed under enemy fire.
Civilian
HOLLAND, JESSIE MacDONALD
Died 12/12/1941
Aged 45
Civilian War Dead
Auxiliary Nursing Service; of 6 Minden Avenue, Kowloon. Wife of Adam Morrison Holland. Injured at Kowloon Harbour; died same day at Queen Mary Hospital.
