Mr Holland flew Wellington Bombers, mainly on anti-shipping patrols after joining the 458 Squadron. He was based on the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy and spent time in Egypt, Jerusalem, Almaza, Corsica, Middle East and Algiers in North Africa.

Mr Holland was part of the group denied access to the airport on August 14, 1944 due to heavy fog. After circling for some time hoping the fog would lift, and then running low on fuel the group were ordered to bail out over enemy territory. Instead they disobeyed orders and landed the plane at sea. 

Mr Holland's group received an award for surviving the crash and became members of the Goldfish Club, which was an award for ditching a plane at sea and surviving through use of a rubber dingy.

Mr Holland attended the RAAF flying school at Temora until late 1943 where he trained in Tiger Moth single engine bi-planes and the AVRO Anson Twin Engined aircraft. From there he trained in Canada at MacLeod Airbase, Alberta, then England, then Italy, where he continued training in Anson and Oxford Bomber aircraft. 

While he was in Canada, his father Clarence Irving Holland died at the age of 48, due indirectly to his service on the Western Front in WW1. Mr Holland was unable to attend his father's funeral.

On November 23, 1945 Mr Holland was discharged from the RAAF. The Honours and Awards he received were: the Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, Australia Service Medal and the Returned from Active Service Badge. 

Mr Holland returned to Wellington where he went jackarooing on Glenwood, before finally going back to Uungula. Doug used to enjoy riding horses, and would ride his work horses to Wellington from Glenwood to exercise them and play polo..

In 1949 Doug married Betty Taylor from Walmer. As well as having a family, they worked hard through rabbit plagues, drought, flood and fire, to more than double the size of Uungula.

''He had a very positive attitude which was not only reserved for his family. He could always see the silver lining in any cloud. If someone had the slightest amount of good in them, he would find it.'' his son John said.

''The family would like to thank Dr Ian Spencer and co-workers for their many years of care, Ross Godfrey for his Pastoral Care, Wellington Home Services, Meals on Wheels, Baptist Home Care, Maranatha and Garden Village Port Macquarie for their excellent care."