WW2 Stories: Stanley Hollis - The Heroic Solo Assaults on D-Day

Greetings, history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews, and welcome back to WW2 Stories. Today, we're going to explore the extraordinary courage of one man whose actions on June 6, 1944, would earn him the highest military honor his country could bestow. This is the story of Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis – the only British soldier to receive the Victoria Cross for actions on D-Day.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Greetings history enthusiasts. I'm Steve Matthews and welcome
back to WW2 stories. Today we're going to explore the
extraordinary courage of one manwhose actions on June 6th, 1944
would earn him the highest military honor his country could
bestow. This is the story of Company

(00:21):
Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis, the only British soldier to
receive the Victoria Cross for actions on D-Day.
The Victoria Cross, the United Kingdom's highest award for
valor in the face of the enemy. Since its creation during the
Crimean War, it has been awardedonly 1358 times.

(00:43):
The medal itself, cast from the bronze of captured Russian
cannons, bears the simple inscription for valor.
To earn this decoration requiresacts of courage so exceptional,
so far beyond the Call of Duty, that they stand apart even in
the chaos and heroism of battle.On June 6th, 1944, as 156,000

(01:06):
Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in the
largest amphibious invasion in history, countless acts of
individual bravery occurred. Yet among these thousands of
soldiers, only one British service man would be deemed
worthy of the Victoria Cross forhis actions that day, a 31 year
old company Sergeant Major from Middlesbrough named Stanley

(01:27):
Elton Hollis. The story of Stanley Hollis is
not just a tale of battlefield heroics.
It's a testament to how an ordinary citizen, when thrust
into extraordinary circumstances, can demonstrate
qualities that inspire generations.
Born on September 21st, 1912 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire,

(01:48):
Hollis grew up in a working class family in England's
industrial northeast. The region was known for its
shipbuilding and steel production.
It's Hardy people forged by labor and resilience, qualities
that would later serve Hollis well in the Crucible of war.
Before the outbreak of World WarTwo, there was little to suggest
that Hollis was destined for military glory.

(02:11):
He worked variously as a shipping clerk, a truck driver
in a lumberjack, in a sawmill. He married Alice Clixby in 1932
and they had two children, a son, Brian, and a daughter,
Pauline. By all accounts, Hollis was a
devoted family man, hard workingand well respected in his

(02:32):
community, but not someone who sought the limelight or
exhibited signs of the remarkable courage he would
later display. When war came to Europe in
September 1939, Hollis, like millions of other men across
Britain, answered his country's call to arms.
He enlisted in the Green Howard's officially known as the
Yorkshire Regiment, A storied infantry unit with a proud

(02:55):
tradition dating back to 1688. Hollis likely had no idea that
his service would eventually place him at the center of the
greatest amphibious assault in military history, or that his
actions would earn him Britain'shighest military honor.
The Green Howards were deployed to France as part of the British
Expeditionary Force, and Hollis's first taste of combat

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came during the German Blitzkrieg through the Low
Countries in France in May 1940.As German armored columns sliced
through Allied defenses, Hollis and his comrades found
themselves in an increasingly desperate situation.
Their baptism of fire culminatedat Dunkirk, where they formed
part of the rearguard action that protected the miraculous

(03:39):
evacuation of over 330,000 Allied troops.
The evacuation from Dunkirk was a formative experience for
Hollis. Amid the chaos of retreat, with
Stuka dive bombers screaming overhead and German artillery
pounding the perimeter, he demonstrated the calm leadership
that would become his hallmark. While many around him were

(04:01):
succumbing to panic, Hollis maintained his composure,
organizing defensive positions and ensuring his men made it to
the evacuation beaches. This early display of leadership
under pressure did not go unnoticed by his superiors.
After Dunkirk, the Green Howardsregrouped and retrained in
England before being deployed toNorth Africa in 1942.

(04:24):
It was here, amid the scorching desert of Libya and Egypt, that
Hollis truly came into his own as a soldier and leader.
The North African Campaign was brutal, searing heat during the
day, bitter cold at night, constant shortages of water and
supplies, and a determined enemyin the form of Rommel's Africa
corpse. By this time, Hollis had risen

(04:46):
to the rank of Sergeant, a testament to his growing
reputation as a capable and courageous soldier.
The British 8th Army, under the command of General Bernard
Montgomery, was preparing for what would become the decisive
battle of the North African Campaign.
El Alamine, Hollis, and the Green Howards would play their
part in this pivotal victory, which Churchill would later

(05:09):
describe as the end of the beginning of the war.
The Battle of El Alamine began on October 23rd, 1942 with a
massive artillery barrage that illuminated the desert night
like daylight. For 12 days, the British forces
hammered at the German and Italian lines, gradually gaining
ground in a battle of attrition that favored the better supplied

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Allies. Throughout this brutal conflict,
Hollis distinguished himself by his leadership and courage,
frequently exposing himself to enemy fire, to rescue wounded
comrades, or to deliver vital messages when radio
communications failed. One particular incident during
the North African campaign cemented Hollis's reputation as

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a soldier of exceptional courageand resourcefulness.
It occurred during the advance after El Alamine, as the 8th
Army pursued the retreating Axisforces westward across Libya.
Hollis's company was making goodprogress until their advance was
suddenly halted by the appearance of a fearsome German
Tiger tank, one of the most formidable weapons in the Nazi

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arsenal. One incident in particular from
the North African campaign speaks to the man Hollis was
becoming during the fighting in the Western Desert with the
British 8th Army. His company's advance was halted
by a fearsome German Tiger tank,a heavily armored behemoth that
outgunned and outmatched anything the British infantry
could bring to bear. Where others might have sought

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cover or called for artillery support, Hollis saw only a
problem that needed solving. Let me take you to that moment.
In the scorching North African desert, the sun beats down
mercilessly on the men of the Green Howards.
They've been advancing across the open desert to rain for
hours, the sand shifting beneaththeir boots, sweat soaking

(06:58):
through their khaki uniforms. Water is rationed, each precious
drop carefully conserved. The men's faces are streaked
with dust and grime, eyes narrowed against the harsh
glare. The North African desert is an
alien landscape to these men. From Yorkshire, the vast
emptiness stretches to the horizon in all directions.

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No trees, no buildings, just occasional rocky outcroppings
and undulating dunes. The heat is unlike anything
they've experienced before. Metal equipment becomes too hot
to touch when left in the sun, and the air shimmers with heat
haze, distorting vision and making distance difficult to
judge. Suddenly, from behind a low rise

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ahead, it appears the unmistakable silhouette of a
German Tiger tank, 54 tons of German engineering excellence,
armored with steel up to 4 inches thick in places and armed
with the lethal 88mm gun that can punch through Allied armor
with ease. The monster's engine roars as it
moves into position, it's long gun barrel tracking toward the

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exposed British soldiers. The Tiger was a relatively new
addition to the German arsenal in North Africa, and its
appearance on the battlefield struck fear into Allied troops.
It's frontal armor was virtuallyimpenetrable to British anti
tank weapons, and it's 88mm gun could destroy Allied tanks that
ranges far beyond the effective range of their own guns.

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Even though the British had numerical superiority in tanks,
the qualitative advantage of theTiger often negated this edge.
The company commander orders hismen to take cover, but there's
precious little protection in this barren landscape.
The tank commander has them in aperfect position, caught in the
open with nowhere to hide. The first shell screams

(08:51):
overhead, a warning shot that kicks up a fountain of sand 50
yards behind them. The next one will find its mark.
Stanley Hollis gazing at the steel beast from behind.
A small rise makes a split second assessment.
Artillery support is too far away.
Anti tank guns aren't in position, if they retreat the

(09:15):
tank will pick them off 1 by 1. His mind races through
possibilities, discarding each until only one remains direct
action. I need the Bren carrier.
He says to his Lieutenant, his Yorkshire accent matter of fact,
as if he's asking for a cup of tea rather than proposing what
seems like suicide. What are you planning to do,

(09:37):
Stan? The officer asks, eyeing him
dubiously. Going to pay that tank a visit,
Sir. Hollis replies, already moving
toward the small armored vehicle.
The Bren Carrier, a lightly armored, open topped tracked
vehicle, is hardly designed for taking on tanks.
It's a personnel and weapons carrier, not a tank destroyer.

(10:00):
But it's fast and maneuverable, and right now, that's what
Hollis needs. He grabs A gammon bomb, an
explosive charge designed to be thrown or placed against armored
targets. It's a simple but deadly weapon,
a flannel bag filled with plastic explosive with a
detonator attached. Effective, but only if you can

(10:21):
get close enough to place it directly on an enemy tank, a
prospect few soldiers would willingly contemplate.
Hollis jumps into the Bren carrier, signals to the driver,
and they roar off the vehicle, bouncing across the uneven
desert surface. His plan is audacious in its
simplicity. Use the carrier's speed to
approach the Tiger, attach the explosive and escape before

(10:45):
detonation. The German tank commander spots
the approaching carrier and swings the Tiger's massive gun
toward this new threat. But traversing the heavy turret
takes precious seconds, and the Bren carrier is moving
erratically, making targeting difficult.
A machine gun on the tank opens up, bullets kicking up dust

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around the racing carrier. They're 50 yards away. 4030 The
carrier swerves sharply to the right, circling toward the
Tiger's flank, where the machinegunner can't depress his weapon
far enough to hit them. The tanks main gun fires, the
shells screaming just over theirheads, close enough that Hollis

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can feel the pressure wave at 20yards.
Hollis shouts to the driver to hold steady for just a moment.
Then with the Gammon bomb clutched in his hand, he leaps
from the still moving carrier and hits the ground.
Rolling German machine gunfire stitches the ground around him
as he scrambles on hands and knees toward the tank.

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The Tiger's engine roars as the driver attempts to turn the
massive vehicle to bring its weapons to bear on this single
soldier. But the tank's strength, it's
heavy armor, also creates its weakness, limited
maneuverability in slow turret rotation.
Hollis reaches the tank's side, momentarily sheltered from its
weapons by being so close. Without hesitation, he slaps the

(12:13):
gammon bomb against the tanks hole near the rear, where the
armor is thinner, and activates the timer. 5 seconds.
He's already running, sprinting back toward the Bren carrier
that is circled around and is approaching for pickup. 4
seconds. The tank commander, realizing
what's happening, orders his driver to move forward to escape

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the explosive. 3 seconds Hollis dives into the Bren carrier as
it passes, almost missing his grip before strong hands pull
him aboard. 2 seconds The carrier accelerates away,
putting distance between them and the Tiger.
One second The German tank manages to move a few yards,

(12:58):
it's tracks churning up sand. The explosion rocks the desert.
The Gammon bomb detonates with aterrific roar, the blast focused
against the Tiger's hole. Smoke and flame billow into the
air, followed by secondary explosions as ammunition inside
the tank ignites. The behemoth grinds to a halt,

(13:19):
black smoke pouring from its hatches.
The men of the Green Howard's watch in stunned silence as
Hollis returns in the Bren carrier, dust covered but
otherwise unharmed. He jumps down, brushes some sand
from his uniform, and reports matter of factly to his company
commander. Tank taken care of, Sir.

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We can move on now. This extraordinary action,
taking on one of Germany's most formidable weapons with nothing
but a bag of explosives and raw courage, earned Hollis the
respect and admiration of his fellow soldiers.
More importantly, it saved countless lives and allowed the
company to continue its advance.It was a harbinger of the even

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greater courage he would displayyears later on the beaches of
Normandy. The incident with the Tiger tank
wasn't the only time Hollis demonstrated his resourcefulness
and courage in North Africa. As the campaign progressed, he
developed a reputation for volunteering for the most
dangerous missions, night patrols deep into enemy

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territory, reconnaissance of heavily defended positions, and
daring raids on German supply lines.
His steadiness under fire and natural tactical sense made him
invaluable in the chaotic conditions of desert warfare.
After the Allied victory in North Africa, Hollis and the
Green Howards participated in the invasion of Sicily in July

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1943. Operation Husky, as it was
codenamed, was at that time the largest amphibious operation in
history, a title it would hold until the Normandy landings less
than a year later. The mountainous terrain of
Sicily presented different challenges from the desert, but
Hollis adapted quickly, leading his men through rugged hills and

(15:05):
narrow village streets as they pushed German and Italian forces
back toward Messina. During one engagement in Sicily,
Hollis's platoon was pinned downby machine gunfire from a
farmhouse on high ground. Rather than risk his men in a
frontal assault, Hollis worked his way around the position,
approaching from the rear. He entered the building alone,

(15:28):
surprising the German machine gun crew, and forced their
surrender. When his men reached the
position, they found Hollis calmly guarding 7 German
prisoners, a scenario that wouldbe repeated on a larger scale
during his D-Day exploits. By the time the Green Howard's
returned to England to prepare for the invasion of France,

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Hollis had been promoted to Company Sergeant Major CSM, the
senior non commissioned officer in a company of about 120 men.
It was a position of enormous responsibility.
The CSM is the lynchpin between the officers and the enlisted
men responsible for discipline, training, administration and

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welfare. In combat, the CSM is expected
to be wherever the fighting is thickest, steadying the men,
organizing ammunition supply, evacuating casualties, and
sometimes taking command when officers are killed or wounded.
In the months leading up to D-Day, Hollis threw himself into
preparing his men for the challenges ahead.

(16:32):
The Green Howard's trained intensively, conducting landing
exercises on British beaches, practicing street fighting in
specially constructed mock villages, and honing their
skills in the assault of fortified positions.
Though none of the men knew exactly where or when the
invasion would occur, they understood that they would be
among the first troops to land and would face the most

(16:55):
determined German resistance. As May turn to June in 1944, the
massive invasion force gathered in southern England.
Camps were sealed off from the outside world to maintain
security and final briefings were held with detailed models
and photographs of the landing beaches.
Hollis and the 6th Battalion Green Howard's learned that they

(17:17):
would be landing on Gold Beach near the village of LA Revere in
the American sector. Their specific objective was a
German strong point known as theMont Flurry Battery, a
formidable position with concrete bunkers, artillery
positions and interlocking fields of fire.
Another incident revealed as quick thinking in boldness.

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When Hollis and his unit were using captured German trucks and
approached a crossroads guarded by German military police, he
didn't panic or retreat. Instead, he pulled up alongside
the Germans and calmly began directing traffic, allowing half
a company of British soldiers topass through safely.
The Germans, fooled by his confidence and composure, never

(18:02):
realized they had let enemy troops escape right under their
noses. These were the experiences that
shaped Stanley Hollis, the man who would step on the Gold Beach
on the morning of June 6th, 1944as part of the first wave of the
D-Day landings. As Company Sergeant Major of D
Company, 6th Battalion Green, Howard's, Hollis was responsible

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for the discipline, morale and welfare of his men.
It was a position that demanded both leadership and courage,
qualities he possessed in abundance.
The journey to Normandy began indarkness and rough seas, landing
craft packed with sea. Six soldiers pitched and rolled
in the channel swells as they approach the French coast.

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Dawn was breaking as they nearedGold Beach, one of the five
designated landing areas for theAllied forces.
The German defenses were formidable concrete bunkers
housing machine guns and artillery, minefields and beach
obstacles designed to tear the bottoms out of landing craft.
As D-Day dawned on June 6th, 1944, the English Channel was a

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scene of controlled chaos. The greatest Armada ever
assembled. Nearly 7000 vessels of all types
approached the Normandy coast the night before.
Thousands of paratroopers had already dropped behind enemy
lines to secure key bridges and crossroads.
Now it was the turn of the seaborne forces to establish the

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beach head that would become thespringboard for the liberation
of Europe. The seas were rough, much
rougher than the planners had hoped.
Landing craft bobbed and weave through the swells, their flat
bottoms providing little stability.
Inside, men huddled in silence, many suffering from seasickness,
others lost in private thoughts and prayers as they prepared to

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face the German defenses. The air was thick with the smell
of diesel exhaust, salt spray and vomit.
The constant drone of engines was punctuated by the crash of
naval gunfire as Allied battleships and cruisers
bombarded the German positions. For the men of the 6th Battalion
Green Howard's, the waiting was perhaps the worst part.

(20:18):
They had trained for this momentfor months, but no training
could fully prepare them for what lay ahead.
Among them, CSM Stanley Hollis moved from man to man, checking
equipment, offering words of encouragement, ensuring that
weapons were cleaned and ready. Despite the salt spray that
covered everything, his calm presence was reassuring to the

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young soldiers, many of whom hadnever seen combat before.
As their landing craft approached the shore, the naval
bombardment reached its crescendo.
The noise was deafening, the crash of heavy guns, the whistle
of shells, the distant thump of explosions as they impacted the
German defenses. Through breaks in the smoke, the

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men could see the coast of France drawing nearer, a thin
line of beach backed by cliffs and rising ground where the
German defenders waited. Then came the moment they had
all been dreading and anticipating.
The Coxon of their landing craftshouted. 2 minutes.
The men tensed, adjusting their equipment one final time.

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Hollis moved to the front of thecraft, ready to lead by example.
The craft ground to a halt as itstruck the sandy bottom.
The ramp crashed down and immediately the air was filled
with the crack and wine of German bullets striking the
metal sides of the landing craft.
Go, go, go. The order was bellowed above the

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den and Hollis charged forward into waist deep water, the men
of D Company following close behind.
The water was shockingly cold, numbing their legs as they
struggled toward the shore, weighted down by equipment and
Hanford by the soft sand under foot.
Around them, other landing craftwere disgorging their human
cargo. Some men fell immediately,

(22:08):
struck by German fire before they could even leave the
relative shelter of their craft.Others disappeared beneath the
waves, their heavy equipment dragging them down when they
stepped into unseen holes or shell craters.
Hollis reached the beach first, pausing briefly to Orion
himself. Amid the smoke and confusion,

(22:28):
the scene was apocalyptic. Burning vehicles, fallen
soldiers, engineers frantically working to clear paths through
the beach, obstacles under enemyfire.
The noise was overwhelming. The crack of gunfire, the
screams of the wounded, the shouts of officers trying to
organize their scattered units in the intermittent crash of

(22:49):
mortar rounds and artillery shells.
D Company's objective was clear.Push inland and capture the Mont
Flurry Battery, a key German strong point threatening the
entire Gold Beach landing area. Under Hollis's leadership, they
began moving forward, taking advantage of whatever cover they
could find. Shell holes, abandoned

(23:10):
equipment, the bodies of the fallen.
Step by painful step, they advanced up the beach toward the
seawall and the village beyond. Unlike some other landing areas,
particularly Omaha Beach, where American forces face devastating
casualties, the initial assault on Gold Beach was making
progress. The combination of naval

(23:31):
gunfire, aerial bombardment, andthe courage of the assault
troops was gradually overwhelming the German
defenses. But the fighting was still
bitter and dangerous, with snipers, machine gun nests, and
mortar teams targeting any Allied movement they could see.
As D Company pushed inland, advancing through a small

(23:52):
coastal village, they suddenly realized that a serious threat
had developed. In the confusion of the assault,
2 German pill boxes had been bypassed.
These concrete fortifications housing machine guns and
protected by trenches and barbedwire.
We're now behind the advancing British troops, but still fully

(24:12):
operational. From their position, they could
deliver devastating fire onto the beach exit, potentially
cutting off the advancing Alliedforces from reinforcement and
supply. It was at this critical moment
that Stanley Hollis performed the first of two actions that
would earn him the Victoria Cross.
The situation demanded immediateaction.

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The pill boxes had to be neutralized before they could
bring their full firepower to bear on the vulnerable beach
exit, but attacking such positions was extremely
dangerous. They were designed to withstand
direct hits from artillery, and their firing slits provided the
German Gunners with excellent fields of fire while offering
minimal exposure without waitingfor orders.

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Without hesitation, Hollis made his decision.
He would attack the pill boxes himself, relying on speed,
surprise, and sheer audacity to overcome the German defenses.
He quickly informed his company commander of his intention, and
then, before anyone could objector suggest a more cautious
approach, he charged directly atthe first pillbox across open

(25:21):
ground. Reaching the pillbox safely,
Hollis climbed on top of the concrete structure, reloaded his
Sten gun, and dropped the grenade inside through the gun
port. After the explosion, he entered
the fortification and found two Germans dead, with the remainder
surrendering immediately. But Hollis wasn't finished.

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He spotted a trench leading to asecond pill box and advanced
down it alone, confronting and capturing about 25 to 30 more
German soldiers single handedly in the space of just a few
minutes. Through sheer courage and
decisive action, Hollis had neutralized a serious threat to
his company and the entire beachexit.

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His actions allowed his unit to continue their advance inland
without fear of being cut off from behind.
It was an extraordinary feat of arms.
But Hollis's day was far from over.
Later that same morning, as the fighting continued inland, D
Company reached the village of Crapon, a few miles from the
coast. Hollis, now acting as commander

(26:26):
of 16 Platoon after their officer had been killed, was
leading his men through the village when they encountered
another German position. A hidden field gun and multiple
machine gun nests had the platoon pinned down with deadly
accurate fire preventing any movement.
Spotting the field gun, Hollis decided once again to take

(26:47):
matters into his own hands. Armed with a PIATA British
infantry anti tank weapon, he crawled forward with two Bren
Gunners to try to destroy the German gun.
After firing at the gun crew from close range, his position
was spotted by a German sniper who grazed his cheek with a
bullet. Almost simultaneously, the field

(27:09):
gun fired directly at him, showering him with dirt and
debris but miraculously missing him.
Ordering his men to retreat to safety, Hollis prepared to
follow them when he learned thattwo of his soldiers were trapped
in a nearby house, cut off by German fire.
Without hesitation, he declared,I got you into this, I'll get

(27:29):
you out, grabbed a Bren light machine gun and stepped out into
the open. What followed was an
extraordinary act of self sacrifice.
Firing the Bren gun from his hipas he walked, Hollis
deliberately drew enemy fire onto himself, creating a
diversion that allowed his trapped men to escape the house
and rejoin the platoon. Despite being the focus of

(27:52):
German fire from multiple positions, Hollis somehow
emerged and scathed, returning to his unit with a casual remark
about the Germans being poor shots.
Let me take you to that moment in Crapon to walk alongside
Stanley Hollis as he performed one of the most selfless acts of
courage on D-Day. The village of Crapon is a small

(28:13):
Norman settlement a few miles inland from Gold Beach.
Ancient stone buildings line narrow streets that were never
designed for the passage of armored vehicles or the movement
of troops. By midday on June 6th, the
sounds of battle have transformed this once peaceful
community. The crack of rifle fire, the
chatter of machine guns, the periodic crash of mortar rounds.

(28:37):
D Company of the Green Howards has pushed inland as part of the
broader Allied advance, but they've encountered stiff
resistance in and around Crapon.The Germans, recovering from the
initial shock of the landings, are fighting hard to contain the
beach head. They've established defensive
positions with interlocking fields of fire, using the

(28:58):
villages layout to maximum advantage.
Hollis and his men are moving cautiously through the village
when they come under intense fire from a concealed German
field gun and several machine gun positions.
The firepower pins them down, forcing them to take cover
behind a low Stonewall. The situation is dire.

(29:18):
They're exposed, unable to advance or retreat without
crossing open ground swept by enemy fire.
Scanning the area, Hollis spots the muzzle flash of the German
field gun. It's positioned about 100 yards
ahead, partially concealed behind a hedgerow with a clear
line of fire down the village St.

(29:39):
His experience. Die picks out the machine gun
nests, too, one in an upper window of a farmhouse to the
right, another dug in at the base of a garden wall to the
left. We need to take out that field
gun, Hollis says to the soldierscrouched beside him.
His voice is steady, matter of fact, betraying none of the
tension that must be coursing through him.

(30:01):
He grabs APIAT, the projector infantry anti tank, a
notoriously difficult weapon to operate effectively.
It's spring loaded, requiring tremendous strength to cock, and
accurate fire demands both skilland nerve, as the operator must
be within 100 yards of the target, well within the enemy's

(30:22):
firing range. I need 2 Brin Gunners with me,
Hollis says. We'll crawl forward and hit that
gun crew from the flank. Two men volunteer immediately.
They've served with Hollis long enough to trust his judgement
implicitly, even in this desperate situation.
The three begin crawling forward, using every fold in the

(30:44):
ground, every bit of cover to mask their movement.
The mud soaks into their uniforms.
The smell of cordite and dust fills their nostrils.
They make it to within firing range of the field gun.
Hollis positions himself, carefully steadies the PIAT,
aims, and fires. The weapon makes a distinctive

(31:06):
pop sound as it launches its bomb toward the German position,
but in the chaos of battle, the shot misses its mark.
Instantly. The German positions erupt with
renewed fire, now concentrated on the spot where Hollis and his
men are located. Bullets kick up dirt inches from
their faces, but German sniper, spotting Hollis's movement,

(31:29):
fires a shot that grazes his cheek, drawing blood but not
disabling him. Almost simultaneously, the field
gun itself traverses and fires directly at them.
The shell impacts just yards away, showering them with dirt
and debris. By some miracle, none of them
are seriously wounded, but theirposition is now completely

(31:51):
untenable. Fall back, Hollis orders his two
companions. Move now, I'll cover you.
The two Bren Gunners begin crawling backward while Hollis
provides covering fire with his rifle.
Once they're safely away, he prepares to follow them.

(32:12):
But just as he's about to move, a runner reaches him with
alarming news. Two men from the platoon are
trapped in a house just up the street, cut off by German fire.
They can't move without being gunned down in the open.
Hollis processes this information in seconds.
The men need a diversion, something to draw German fire

(32:32):
away from them long enough to allow their escape.
There's no time to coordinate a complex plan, no reinforcements
to call upon. Any delay could mean the death
of the trapped soldiers. Without hesitation, Hollis makes
his decision. I got you into this.
I'll get you out, he tells the runner.

(32:53):
Then he picks up a Bren gun, a light machine gun weighing over
22 lbs, checks its ammunition and prepares himself.
The men around him watch in disbelief as Hollis stands up,
fully exposed, and steps out from behind cover.
The Bren gun is cradled in his arms, it's bipod folded
underneath. This is not how the weapon is

(33:16):
designed to be used. It's meant to be fired from a
prone position stabilized by itsbipod.
But Hollis has no intention of going the ground.
He needs to be visible to draw every German iron gun in his
direction. He begins walking straight down
the middle of the village St., firing the Bren gun from his hip
and controlled bursts toward theGerman positions.

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The weapons recoil hammers against his body, but he
maintains his stride, steady anddeliberate.
His figure is silhouetted against the Norman sky and
unmissable target. The effect is immediate and
exactly as he intended. German fire shifts away from the
trapped men and concentrates on this lone soldier walking

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fearlessly into their guns. Machine gun bullets whip past
him, kicking up dust at his feetand chipping stones from walls.
Beside him, the sniper who grazed him earlier fires again
and misses. The field gun crew, perhaps too
shocked by his audacity to respond effectively, failed to
bring their weapon to bear. From the corner of his eye,

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Hollis seized movement. The two trapped men, seizing
their opportunity, Sprint from the house toward the British
position. They zigzag across the open
ground, expecting to be cut downat any moment.
But the German Gunners are fullyfocused on the greater threat,
the man with the Bren gun who seems to be inviting their fire.

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Only when he sees that his men have reached safety does Hollis
finally seek cover. He dives behind a low wall as
bullets strike all around him. For a moment he lies there,
catching his breath, perhaps allowing himself to realize just
how close to death he has come. Then, with the same methodical
calm that has characterized all his actions, he works his way

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back to the main British position.
Upon rejoining his unit, Hollis is greeted with stunned silence,
followed by questions about how he survived such an exposed
advance. His response is typically
understated. They couldn't hit a barn door at
10 paces, these Germans, he jokes, downplaying the
extraordinary courage he's just displayed.

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But the men who witnessed his actions know they've seen
something remarkable. Courage that goes beyond duty,
beyond training, beyond what should be humanly possible under
such conditions. These two separate acts of
valor, the assault on the pill boxes at Mount Fleury, in the
rescue of his trapped men at Crapon, would earn Stanley
Hollis the Victoria Cross. The official citation for his

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award, published in the London Gazette, described his actions
as demonstrating outstanding courage, leadership and devotion
to duty. It concluded that his unselfish
courage in the face of the most desperate conditions saved the
lives of many of his men and materially helped the success of
their operations. What makes Hollis's story even

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more remarkable is that throughout the day, he continued
to lead and inspire his men wherever the fighting was
heaviest. Fellow soldiers later recalled
how he seemed to appear whereverhe was most needed, his calm
demeanor and decisive actions steadying those around him in
the chaos of battle. One comrade noted he was such a

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brave man. He had a very quick mind and
could sum up situations in a flash.
He never ever panicked and he knew exactly the right thing to
do in action. The significance of Hollis being
the only Victoria Cross recipient from D-Day cannot be
overstated. Consider the scale of Operation

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Overlord. Over 156,000 Allied troops
landed in Normandy that day. Thousands of acts of bravery
occurred as men faced German fire on the beaches and pushed
inland. Yet only Hollis's actions were
deemed to meet the exceptionallyhigh standard required for
Britain's highest military honor.

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This speaks volumes about the extraordinary nature of his
courage and leadership. The impact of his actions
extended far beyond the immediate tactical situation.
By single handedly neutralizing the pill boxes at Mont Flurry,
Hollis secured A vital beach exit that allowed Allied forces
to move inland. Without this route off the

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beach, units could have been trapped on the shore, vulnerable
to German counter attacks and artillery.
As historian Mike Morgan noted, without Hollis's contribution,
the first attack wave would havebeen stopped by the enemy
troops, thus a crucial moment ofthe landing being jeopardized.
Similarly, his rescue of trappedcomrades at Crapon not only

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saved those men's lives, but maintain the fighting strength
of his unit at a critical momentin the advance.
Throughout the campaign in Normandy that followed, many
soldiers and their families would credit Hollis with their
survival after the war. People would stop his children
in the street to say my husband's come home alive
because of what your father did on D-Day.

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For Stanley Hollis, the VictoriaCross brought recognition but
not fundamental change. After the war he returned to
civilian life in Middlesbrough, working various jobs, including
as a shipyard worker, a merchantsailor and eventually is the
manager of a pub called, fittingly enough, The Green
Howard. Despite his fame, he remained

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modest about his accomplishments, rarely
discussing his wartime experiences and deflecting
praise by saying he had simply done what anyone would have done
in the same situation. What we do know about Hollis the
man comes from those who served with him and from his family.
His comrades described him as a natural leader who inspired
confidence and trust. They noted his exceptional

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situational awareness and ability to make quick, decisive
judgments under pressure. He was known for his dry wit and
matter of fact approach to even the most dangerous situations.
A recently discovered letter that Hollis wrote to the parents
of Private John Armstrong, a fallen comrade, reveals his deep
compassion and sense of responsibility for his men.

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In this letter, he called Armstrong the bravest man the
6th Battalion had ever seen and one of my best friends.
His granddaughter Amanda Hart noted that the letter shows he
did care about his friends that he was fighting with and that he
had a great memory for names. What he did and what other
people did that day was amazing and it lets us be what we are

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today. Hollis's legacy lives on in
Middlesbrough and beyond. A statue in his honor stands
near the town cenotaph, a permanent reminder of his
extraordinary courage. The Green Howard's Museum
displays his Victoria Cross, andhis name is honored at
institutions like Hollis Academy.

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Each year, ceremonies mark the anniversary of D-Day and
commemorate his actions. But perhaps the most meaningful
aspect of Hollis's legacy is thegenerations who lived because of
his courage. The men he saved went on to have
families of their own, children and grandchildren who would not
exist had it not been for his willingness to risk everything

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for his comrades. As his son Brian once observed,
Dad never spoke about the war, but other people spoke about
him. They'd come up to me and my
sister and say, if it wasn't foryour dad, I wouldn't be here
today. Stanley Hollis died in 1972 at
the age of 61, having lived a relatively quiet life after the

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tumult of war. Yet his actions on June 6th,
1944 ensure that his name will forever be associated with the
qualities that define true heroism, courage, selflessness,
and an unwavering commitment to 1's comrades in duty.
In an era when the word hero is often casually applied, Stanley

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Hollis reminds us of its true meaning.
He did not seek glory or recognition.
He did not perform for an audience when faced with life or
death, decisions that would haveparalyzed many.
He acted with a clarity of purpose and disregard for
personal safety that set him apart even on a day marked by
widespread courage and sacrifice.

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The story of Stanley Hollis speaks to something profound
about human potential that ordinary individuals, when
called upon by extraordinary circumstances, can rise to
heights of courage that seem almost superhuman.
A truck driver and shipping clerk from Middlesbrough became,
through force of character and circumstance, a legend whose

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name would be forever linked with one of history's pivotal
moments. As we look back on D-Day and the
man who stormed those beaches, let us remember Stanley Hollis,
the man they called the soldier the Nazis couldn't kill.
His Victoria Cross, the only oneawarded on June 6th, 1944,
stands as testament not just to his individual bravery, but to

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the spirit of all those who fought and died to liberate
Europe from tyranny. In the words of his Victoria
Cross citation, Stanley Hollis demonstrated outstanding
courage, leadership and devotionto duty.
In doing so, he embodied the values that ultimately secured
victory. Not just superior numbers or

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equipment, but the moral courageand self sacrifice of
individuals willing to risk everything for their comrades
and their 'cause. This has been Steve Matthews for
WW2 stories. Until next time, remember that
history is shaped not just by grand strategies and sweeping
movements, but by the courage and determination of individuals

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who, in moments of crisis, find within themselves reservoirs of
bravery they might never have known they possessed.