About John Holford
Lived 1909 – 1997 (aged 88). John Holford was a British chess player.
John Morley Holford, CB, OBE (10 January 1909 – 4 November 1997) was a medical officer in the Royal Navy.
Life Born the son of the reverend William James Holford and Amy Finnemore Lello, Holford was educated at Kingswood School, Bath, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He then went on to St George's Hospital Medical School where he qualified in 1933. He became second medical officer in HMS Valiant on the Mediterranean Station before becoming flotilla medical officer in HMS Grenville in December 1936 and then being posted to HMS Ganges in 1938.
Holford worked for the Ministry of Health from 1965 to 1974, latterly as senior principal medical officer.
Rank
1935 : surgeon lieutenant 1940 : surgeon lieutenant commander 1946 : surgeon commander 1957 : surgeon captain 1963 : surgeon rear admiral 1966 : retired
Honours
BA Cantab (1930) MRCS LRCP (1933) MB BCh (1939) MRCP (1939) Haakon VIIs Freedom Medal (1947) OBE (1954) FRCP(1954) Gilbert Blane medal (1956) CB (1965)
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in John Holford's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped John Holford's
Frequently asked questions
Who was John Holford?
Royal Navy admiral
When was John Holford born?
John Holford was born on 10 January 1909 in Ettingshall.
When did John Holford die?
John Holford died on 4 November 1997.
What was John Holford's occupation?
John Holford was a chess player.
What nationality was John Holford?
John Holford was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Holford. https://biography.guide/john-holford/
MLA: "John Holford." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-holford/.
Chicago: "John Holford." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-holford/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:04 UTC