The Green Howards, - VCs and GCs Won by the Regiment

W O II Stanley E Hollis, VC

The words below are taken directly from Roger Chapman's book, "Beyond Their Duty". However, an extremely interesting account of Stanley Hollis was provided by the Sun Newspaper on 6 May 2004, and this can be selected as an additional source of information on Stanley Hollis' bravery.

During the assault on the beaches and the Mont Fleury battery, CSM Hollis's Company Commander noticed that two of the pill boxes had been by-passed and went with CSM Hollis to see that they were clear. When they were 20 yards from the pill box, a machine gun opened fire from the slit. CSM Hollis instantly rushed straight at the pill box, firing his Sten gun. He jumped on top of the pill box, recharged the magazine, threw a grenade in through the door, fired his Sten gun into the box, - killing two Germans and making the remainder prisoners.
He then cleared several Germans from a neighbouring trench. By this action he undoubtedly saved his Company from being fired on heavily from the rear, and enabled them to open the main beach exit.
Later in the same day in the village of Crepon, the Company encountered a field gun and crew armed with Spandaus at 100 yards range. CSM Hollis was put in command of a party to cover an attack on the gun. Hollis pushed right forward to engage the gun with a PIAT from a house at 50 yards range. He was observed by a sniper who fired and grazed his right cheek and at the same moment the gun swung round and fired at point blank range into the house. To avoid the falling masonry CSM Hollis moved his party to an alternative position. Two of the enemy gun crew had, by this time, been killed and the gun was destroyed shortly afterwards. He later found that two of his men had stayed behind in the house and immediately volunteered to get them out. In full view of the enemy, who were continually firing at him, he went forward alone using a Bren gun to distract their attention from the other men. Under cover of his diversion, the two men were able to get back. Wherever fighting was heaviest CSM Hollis appeared, and in the course of a magnificent day's work he displayed the utmost gallantry and on two separate occasions his courage and initiative prevented the enemy from holding up the advance at critical stages.
It was largely through his heroism and resource that the Company's objectives were gained and casualties were not heavier. By his own bravery he saved the lives of many of his men.

Stanley Elton Hollis was born in Loftus on 21st September 1912, the eldest son of Edith and Alfred Edward Hollis, a fishmonger, who had three sons, one of whom died after three weeks. He attended the local school until he was 12 years. 1926, his parents moved to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Yorkshire coast where Stan worked for his father in the fish shop. At the age of 17, he was apprenticed to the Rowland & Marwood Shipping Company ofWhitby to learn to be a Navigation Officer. He later transferred to the Elder, Dempster Line making regular voyages to West Africa. In 1930, he fell ill with blackwater fever in West Africa which ended his merchant naval career.
He returned to North Ormesby, Middlesbrough where his parents now owned a fish shop in Beaumont Road and found employment as a lorry driver. He married Alice Clixby and had a son and a daughter. In 1939 Hollis was employed with Crossley Brick Company and enlisted as a territorial in 4th Battalion, The Green Howards. He was mobilised at the outbreak of WWII and helped to form 6th Green Howards. They travelled to France in April 1940 to join the British Expeditionary Force, primarily to build runways for aerodromes. He was employed as the Commanding Officer's dispatch rider. He was promoted to Sergeant from Lance Corporal when the battalion escaped from Dunkirk. He moved with his battalion to lraq, Palestine and Cyprus then fought from El Alamein to Tunis in the North African Campaign as part of the 8th Army. Hollis was promoted to CSM just before the invasion of Sicily in 1943. He was wounded at the Primasole Bridge and recommended for, but not awarded, the DCM.
4390973 WO II Stan Hollis was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery in Normandy on 6th June 1944. The announcement was made in The London Gazette on 17th August 1944. He was wounded in the leg and evacuated to England in September 1944. He was decorated by King George VI at Buckingham Palace on 10th October 1944.
After the war, it was difficult to find work in North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, so he spent several years as a sandblaster in the local steelworks. He then worked and became a partner in Horobin's motor repair business in Darlington before joining a Canadian registered ship as 3rd Engineer in 1950. He spent the next four years sailing in the Far East returning to train as a publican with Vaux Breweries. In 1955, he became the successful manager of the 'Albion' public house in Market Square, North Ormesby which had its name changed to 'The Green Howard'. The public house was demolished in 1970 and so he moved to become the tenant of the 'Holywell View' public house at Liverton Mines near Loftus.
He died in North Ormesby Hospital on 8th February 1972 aged 59 years. He was buried in Aklam Cemetery in Middlesbrough on 12th February 1972. In 1982 his medals were auctioned at Sothebys where they fetched a then record sum of £32000. In November 1997, Stan Hollis's VC and medals were presented as a gift by Sir Ernest Harrison OBE to the Green Howards Regimental Museum.