David Clare Holloway was born February 28 1927 in Brisbane, the son of returned WWI veteran Eric Mansfield Holloway. They lived initially in Chinchilla, he grew up mainly in Canberra, while the War Memorial was being built. Moving to Melbourne where he finished his schooling, he served briefly in the Navy at the end of WWII, before completing teachers college in Melbourne. He was teacher and head teacher at various Victorian country schools before becoming a School Inspector, until promoted to assistant Director of Education, primary division. He is also the author of Dark Somme Flowing (Australian WWI Poetry) and The Inspectors (a history of school inspectors in Victoria). David died on 15th October 2014, having completed all the reviews and selecting the jacket cover, but before Combat Colonels was published.