Boyd F. Holland
Date of Birth: March 5, 1910
Place of Birth: Wamego, Kansas
Father and Mother’s Names: George and Adda Gertrude (Ford) Holland
Date Entered Service: October 16, 1940 from Kansas City, MO
Service Branch: Army
Rank/Specialty: Private First Class
Service ID: 37138721
Division/Company/Unit info: 2nd Battalion, 39th Engineer Combat Regiment
Awards and Commendations: Purple Heart
Riley Connection: The 1920 U.S. Census shows the Holland family as living at 731 Osage St. The 1939 Manhattan directory shows Boyd lived at 1019 Bluemont Ave. and worked as a clerk at Montgomery Ward. The 1940 U.S. Census shows Boyd as living with his mother and sister at 660 Bluemont Ave., and it shows his occupation as a fry cook at a café. The 1942 directory lists his occupation as “baker.”
Date of Death (and Age): March 16, 1944 (age 34)
Place of Death: KIA - Anzio, Italy
Grave Location: Plot H Row 10 Grave 43, Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Nettuno, Italy.
Bio: Boyd Ford Holland was born on March 5, 1910 in Wamego, Pottawatomie Co., Kansas to George Boyd Holland and Gertrude Ada (unknown) Holland. Boyd's family moved to Manhattan, Kansas while he was still a child. In 1929, 19-year-old Boyd was working as a baker at Campbell Baking Company in Wichita. His father, George, was a cement contractor and by 1930 Boyd was employed with his father's contracting business in Wichita. The family moved back to Manhattan, and in 1939, Boyd was a clerk in a Montgomery Ward & Company store. Boyd was living at 1019 Bluemont Ave. # 4 with his mother and sister and was working as a fry cook at a restaurant on May 2, 1940. His sister Cecelia was a stenographer for the 4-H department at the Kansas State College.
Boyd was a short man standing only 4' 9" tall and he weighed 150 lbs. He was working at the Milgram Food Store in Kansas City, Mo when he entered the Army on 10/16/1940. He was a Private First Class and served with the 2nd Battalion, 39th Engineer Combat Regiment. Redesignated 1 August 1942 as 2d Battalion 39th Engineer Combat Regiment. (Departed New York Port of Embarkation 13 January 1943 for overseas service and arrived at Oran, North Africa on 27 January 1943. Moved to Sicily on 13 July 1943 and landed in Italy on 18 October 1943). Boyd saw action in Africa, Sicily and Italy. In 1944 the Allies landed at Anzio, Italy in a major amphibious assault on the Italian mainland. Even though they had little resistance on the first few days the battle would soon grow into an intense slug fest. Between January 22 and May 24 the battle for Anzio raged. The 39th would have a critical role to play, clearing minefields and disposing of unexploded ordinance. PFC Holland died during the battle of Anzio, a place which would see some of the most savage fighting of World War II.
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