The Men

The Men

Sunday 19 January 2014

* Mr Holden Stodart

Mr Holden Stodart killed in cross fire, Easter 1916, Dublin

Mr Holden Stodart. Corps Superintendent St Johns Ambulance Brigade. Killed in cross fire while discharging his duty in Dublin during the Easter Rising in Dublin April 1916. Son of Mr Thos A Stodart "Irish Times". 
Source:  http://source.southdublinlibraries.ie/handle/10599/382


' The first steps to organize first aid work were taken by the late Corps Superintendent, Holden Stodart. He contacted the military authorities offering help which was not required at that time, Easter Monday. On Tuesday, the military asked the Brigade for volunteers to act as orderlies with the RAMC at Portobello Military Barracks and at the Dublin Castle Red Cross Hospital. An ambulance patrol was stationed at Harcourt Street Railway Station on that day. 

On Wednesday a large number of officers and men of the Brigade as well as members of the public who possessed First Aid Certificates reported to Dr. John Lumsden, the Deputy Commissioner, at the Brigade Depot, 51 Dawson Street. 

These were allocated to the military hospitals and to the City of Dublin Hospital, Baggot Street, where a room was placed at the disposal of the Brigade members. It was from there that Brigade members rendered help to the Sherwood Foresters who were ambushed on their way from Kingstown to the city. Corps Superintendent Holden Stodart was killed near Mount Street Bridge while going with a stretcher party to the aid of a wounded soldier. 

An employee of Messrs. Arthur Guinness, Son and Company, he was from Blackrock and had been educated at High School. He had been awarded the Coronation Silver Medal for his work with the Brigade since the outbreak of war. 
He was survived by his wife and one child. While medals and certificates were awarded for meritorious service by the Brigade there was no provision for the award of posthumous honors so his bravery could not be formally acknowledged by the Brigade. The War Office decided to place officers and men of the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance Brigade in the same position with regard to pensions and compassionate allowances as the holders of equivalent ranks in the Army. This meant that the Stodart family were awarded the pension and allowance of a Lieutenant who had been killed in action. Holden Stodart is buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery. The inscription on his grave reads "In loving memory of my devoted husband Holden Stodart Corps Superintendent Saint John Ambulance Brigade who lost his life on duty during the rebellion April 26 1916 aged 33 years". '

This text is taken wholesale from this website: http://www.gaelicweb.com/irishampost/year2014/summer/featured/featured03.html

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