214 - Stan Hollis VC and the Green Howards on D-Day

The WW2 Podcast

Angus Wallace

Rifle, Gun, Second, Army, Ww2, War, Society & Culture, Carlin, Aircraft, Military, Navy, Wwii, World, History, Plane, Armour, Infantry, Tank

4.7 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2024

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Green Howards landed in the first wave on D-Day. With them was Company Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, who had seen action in France in 1940, being evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk. He fought in North Africa and took part in the invasion of Sicily.

It is fair to say Hollis was a seasoned soldier. He is also the only recipient of the Victoria Cross for his actions on the 6th of June 1944.

I have made a field trip to the Green Howards Regimental Museum in Richmond, Yorkshire. In this episode, Steve Erskine joins me to discuss Hollis and the Green Howards on D-Day.

The museum is hosting a special 80th D-Day anniversary event on the 6th of June, 2023. This is a unique event to be held at the museum in Richmond. Those attending will have the chance to explore items from the museum collection relating to this crucial phase of the Second World War. Hear accounts of the day itself and understand more about the impact of the events of 6 June 1944. You can find out more on the museum website greenhowards.org.uk.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This country is at war with Germany.
0:04.0	We shall go on to the end.
0:08.0	I remember the sheets of flame which came up and almost blinded us from our guns. Hello and welcome to the World War II podcast. I'm Angus Wallace. For this
0:27.3	episode I have made a field trip to the Green Howard's Regimental Museum in
0:31.7	Richmond in Yorkshire. The Green Howard's Regimental Museum in Richmond, in Yorkshire. The Green
0:34.2	Howards landed in the first wave on Dede and with them was Company Sergeant
0:38.6	Major Stan Hollis, who had seen action in France in 1940, being evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk.
0:45.3	He fought in North Africa and took part in the invasion of Sicily. It's fair to say
0:50.5	Hollis was a seasoned soldier. Stan Hollis is also the only recipient of the Victoria Cross for
0:58.0	his actions on the 6th of June. Steve Erskine joins me to discuss Hollis and the Green Howards on D-Day.
1:05.0	Thanks for inviting me to the museum, Steve, so let's start with the Green Howards.
1:11.0	My grandfather, great-grandfather and great uncle all served with the
1:15.0	regiment. Looking on Wikipedia I notice that the oldest continual serving
1:21.0	regiment in the British Army is the Colestram Guards which was raised in
1:24.8	1650. Now the Green Howards are not that far behind raised in the 1680s. Does
1:30.5	does the regiment have a illustrious history? Why the Green Howards?
1:35.0	The regiment is created, as you say in 1688, part of that thing I was taught at school,
1:40.0	the glorious revolution, what we were today I suppose called a first example of
1:44.1	regime change. So a local landowner Francis Lutrell at Lutrell castle just
1:49.7	outside Exeter he sees the way that the wind is blowing and raises a regiment to support the claim of
1:56.4	William of Orange. And consequently that is the real route of what becomes the Yorkshire Regiment, the 19th Regiment of
2:06.0	foot and the Green Howards. So they're created in that space there and as a man from
	...

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