Stanley Hollis

Stanley Hollis was born in Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, where he lived and attended the local school until 1926. Then his parents (Edith and Alfred Hollis) moved to Robin Hood's Bay, where he worked in his father's fish and chip shop.{{cite news |title=Wartime Courage by Gordon Brown |newspaper=Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/exclusions/features/gordonbrown/nosplit/ftgordonbook3.xml |issue=47, 409 |page=28 |date=7 November 2007 |access-date=26 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108215751/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fportal%2Fexclusions%2Ffeatures%2Fgordonbrown%2Fnosplit%2Fftgordonbook3.xml |archive-date=8 November 2007 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

In 1929 he was apprenticed to a Whitby shipping company, to learn to be a Navigation Officer.{{sfn|Morgan|2004|p=13}} He made regular voyages to West Africa, but in 1930 fell ill with blackwater fever, which ended his merchant navy career.{{sfn|Morgan|2004|p=13}} Returning to North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, he worked as a lorry driver, and married Alice Clixby, with whom he had a son and a daughter.{{sfn|Whitworth|2012|p=131}}

In 1939 he enlisted in the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, in the 4th Battalion, Green Howards.{{sfn|Morgan|2004|p=14}} At the outbreak of the Second World War he was mobilised and transferred to the 6th Battalion, Green Howards, and went to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in 1940, where he served as the commanding officer's despatch rider. He was promoted from lance corporal to sergeant during the evacuation from Dunkirk. He then fought from El Alamein to Tunis as part of the British Eighth Army in the North African Campaign. He was made company sergeant major shortly before the invasion of Sicily in 1943, where he was wounded at the battle of Primosole Bridge.{{cite news |last1=Lloyd |first1=Chris |title=The incredible story of D-Day hero Stan Hollis - the only man to win the VC on the 'longest day' |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/history/17685489.incredible-story-d-day-hero-stan-hollis/ |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |date=6 June 2019 |language=en}}{{sfn|Whitworth|2012|p=131}}

On D-Day, the 6th Green Howards landed on Gold Beach. As his company moved inland from the beaches after the initial landings, Hollis went with his company commander to investigate two German pillboxes which had been by-passed.{{cite news |last1=FitzPatrick |first1=Laura |title=Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis: The only man to be honoured with the Victoria Cross for his efforts on D-Day |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/06/06/d-day-commemorations-victoria-cross-soldier-remembered-normandy/ |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=The Telegraph |date=6 June 2019}} He rushed the first, taking all but five of the occupants prisoner; and then dealt with the second, taking 26 prisoners.{{cite web |title=Stan Hollis and the D-Day Victoria Cross |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/stan-hollis-and-the-d-day-victoria-cross |website=Imperial War Museums |access-date=1 March 2020 |language=en}} He next cleared a neighbouring trench. Later that day, he led an unsuccessful attack on an enemy position containing a field gun and multiple MG 42 machine guns. After withdrawing, he learned that two of his men had been left behind. He said to his commanding officer, Major Lofthouse, "I took them in. I will try to get them out." Details below in the citation for his VC.

In September 1944 he was wounded in the leg and evacuated to England, where he was decorated by King George VI on 10 October 1944.{{cite news |title=Victoria Cross medal goes on display |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6993984.victoria-cross-medal-goes-display/ |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |date=20 April 2004 |language=en}}

File:Green howards memorial.JPG]]

The citation published in the London Gazette read:

{{cquote| In Normandy on 6th June, 1944, during the assault on the beaches and the Mont Fleury Battery, C.S.M. Hollis's Company Commander noticed that two of the pill-boxes had been by-passed, and went with C.S.M. Hollis to see that they were clear. When they were 20 yards from the pillbox, a machine-gun opened fire from the slit and C.S.M. Hollis instantly rushed straight at the pillbox, firing his Sten gun. He jumped on top of the pillbox, re-charged his magazine, threw a grenade in through the door and fired his Sten gun into it, killing two Germans and taking the remainder prisoner. He then cleared several Germans from a neighbouring trench. By his action, he undoubtedly saved his Company from being fired on heavily from the rear and enabled them to open the main beach exit.

Later the same day, in the village of Crepon, the Company encountered a field gun and crew armed with Spandaus at 100 yards range. C.S.M. Hollis was put in command of a party to cover an attack on the gun, but the movement was held up. Seeing this, C.S.M. Hollis pushed right forward to engage the gun with a P.I.A.T. 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 into the house. To avoid the fallen masonry C.S.M. 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, C.S.M. 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, and by his own bravery he saved the lives of many of his men.{{London Gazette |issue= 36658|date=15 August 1944|pages=3807–3808|supp=y}}}}

After the war, he worked for a time as a sandblaster in a local steelworks.{{cite news |last1=Hetherington |first1=Graeme |title=Saluting Green Howards VC hero Stan Hollis on the centenary of his birth |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/9943985.vc-heros-son-daughter-guest-honour-loftus-ceremony/ |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |date=22 September 2012 |language=en}} He then became a partner in a motor repair business in Darlington, before becoming a ship's engineer from 1950 to 1955.{{sfn|Whitworth|2012|p=131}} He next trained as a publican, and ran the 'Albion' public house in Market Square, North Ormesby: the pub's name was changed to 'The Green Howard'.{{sfn|Morgan|2004|p=136}} After the pub was demolished in 1970, he moved to become the tenant of the 'Holywell View' public house at Liverton Mines near Loftus.{{sfn|Morgan|2004|p=105}}

He died on 8 February 1972, and was laid to rest in Acklam Cemetery, Middlesbrough.{{sfn|Morgan|2004|p=143}}

File:C.S.M Hollis Crescent Memorial.jpg

Hollis Crescent, a military accommodation estate, was named after him in the 1980s/90s in Strensall, North Yorkshire. A memorial plaque was put on the side of number 2 Hollis Crescent to commemorate his Victoria Cross.

File:Stanley Hollis memorial statue.jpg

A statue honouring him, sculpted by Brian Alabaster ARBS, was unveiled on 26 November 2015 by Vice Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Peter Scrope.{{cite news|url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/hundreds-turn-out-memorial-middlesbrough-10507873|title=Hundreds turn out as memorial to Middlesbrough VC war hero Stanley Hollis is unveiled|newspaper=Middlesbrough Evening Gazette Live Website|access-date=11 December 2015}} The walk-in memorial is located close to the Middlesbrough cenotaph outside the gates of Albert Park in front of the Dorman Museum.{{cite news |last1=Webber |first1=Chris |title="He saved my life, Stanley Hollis": Veteran speaks as statue of Victoria Cross winner unveiled in Middlesbrough |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14106876.saved-life-stanley-hollis-veteran-speaks-statue-victoria-cross-winner-unveiled-middlesbrough/ |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |date=26 November 2015 |language=en}}

Another statue of Stanley Hollis was erected in Crépon, Normandy, France near the Green Howard Pub.

Hollis Court, a retired/sheltered accommodation complex in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, is named after him.{{sfn|Morgan|2004|p=139}}

His Victoria Cross was bought by medal collector Sir Ernest Harrison OBE, chairman of Racal and Vodafone. Harrison presented the medal to the Green Howards Regimental Museum in Richmond, North Yorkshire in 1997. Ten years later, he purchased, for the Green Howards, the Normandy hut which Hollis had attacked.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/feb/20/ernest-harrison-obituary|title=Sir Ernest Harrison|work=The Guardian|date=22 February 2009|access-date=29 June 2010 | location=London | first=David | last=Brewerton}}

In 2016, a school in Middlesbrough that converted to academy status, was named Hollis Academy in his honour.{{cite news |last1=Lodge |first1=Bethany |title=Middlesbrough school adopts name of VC hero Stan Hollis |url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/middlesbrough-school-adopts-name-victoria-12047852 |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=Gazette Live |date=19 October 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Webber |first1=Chris |title=New school academy to be named after one of region's greatest war heroes |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14836714.new-school-academy-named-one-regions-greatest-war-heroes/ |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=The Northern Echo |date=1 November 2016 |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book|last=John|first=Laffin|year=1997|title=British VCs of World War 2: A Study in Heroism|publisher=Sutton Publishing|isbn=0-7509-1026-7}}
• D-day Victoria Cross: Story of Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis, VC (Philip Wilkinson, 1997)
• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• {{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Mike|title=D-Day Hero; CSM Stanley Hollis VC|year=2004|publisher=Sutton|location=Stroud|isbn=0-7509-3694-0}}
• {{cite book|last=Whitworth|first=Alan|title=Yorkshire VCs|year=2012|publisher=Pen & Sword|location=Barnsley|isbn=978-1-84884-778-1}}

{{Portal|Biography}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110727171515/http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/hollismemorial.php The Green Howards Hollis Memorial - Hollis Hut, Ver-sur-Mer]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041027211955/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/clevelan.htm Location of grave and VC medal] (Cleveland)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20000618094508/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/bbtandy.htm News Item] (VC medal donation to regimental museum)
• [http://www.dday.co.uk/ D-Day] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212224024/http://www.dday.co.uk/ |date=12 February 2010 }} (highly detailed site on the D-Day landings)
• {{Find a Grave|8153900}}

;Press articles

• [http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/revealed-how-statue-middlesbrough-d-day-7820368 Revealed: How statue of Middlesbrough D-Day hero Stan Hollis is to look]
• [https://archive.today/20140926043519/http://www.stanleyehollisvcmemorial.co.uk/biography The Stanley E. Hollis VC Memorial Fund]

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Category:1912 births

Category:1972 deaths

Category:Burials in North Yorkshire

Category:People from Middlesbrough

Category:Green Howards soldiers

Category:British Army personnel of World War II

Category:British World War II recipients of the Victoria Cross

Category:British Army recipients of the Victoria Cross

Category:British Battle of Normandy recipients of the Victoria Cross

Category:Military personnel from North Yorkshire

Category:People from Robin Hood's Bay