Mr G. H. Holford, of Christchurch. received cable advice yesterday that a vessel upon which his father, Captain George Holford, was serving, has been definitely given up by Lloyd’s as lost. Captain Holford, who was eighty-eight years of age, was for some twenty years in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company, and for many years commanded the Takapuna, running between Wellington and Auckland via New Plymouth. When the Tofua came out as a new ship he had charge of her in the island trade until 1912, when he became harbourmaster at New Plymouth. Captain Holford gave up that position owing to illness. Recovering later, Captain Holford took to sea again during the war. After voyaging to the East in the Manapouri, he was engaged on Admiralty work for two years in the North Sea and in South African and South American waters. On November 9 of last year he left Plymouth on Admiralty work in command of H.M.S Samson. That vessel was last spoken on November 26, off Cape-Finisterre. Captain Holford’s father was for over thirty years harbourmaster at New Plymouth. There are two sons and two daughters — Mr G. H. Holford, of Christchurch; Mr L. Holford, of Dunedin; Mrs Cookson, of Christchurch. and Miss Holford, who is living with her mother at Papanui. -Lyttelton Times, 19/2/1920.
Captain George Holford's death a something of a mystery. A genealogical site I have found states that he died in November 1918 from "friendly fire" while towing a target for aerial bombing practice.
Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.
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