The 6th June 1944 saw the greatest invasion force ever storm the beaches at Normandy simply a few hours after thousands of paratroopers had dropped in Nazi occupied France. D-Day was at long last underway.
A huge number of Allied soldiers landed on the five beaches of Normandy; Gold, Sword, Juno, Omaha and Utah. There were countless acts of bravery yet there was only one single Victoria Cross granted on D-Day. It was given to CSM Stan Hollis who ended up on Gold Beach.
Hollis was a veteran who had seen combat at Dunkirk, El Alamein and Sciliy. He had already been taken prisoner by the Afrika Korps but had managed to escape to rejoin the war.
Discipline wise, Hollis was never a model soldier yet on D-Day, there was no doubting his expertise as a soldier. He had also been recommended for a Distinguished Conduct Medal while in action in Italy and it was as part of the offensive on the Mont Fleury Battery that Hollis earned his Victoria Cross in action with the Green Howards regiment.
While his company, advanced off the landing beach, he observed two pillboxes had been missed. As Hollis went along to look into, the Nazis inside commenced shooting. Hollis attacked them and eliminated both pillboxes acquiring quite a few pows in the act. This made it possible for the primary exit from the beach front to stay open.
Later in the day close to the village of Crepon, Hollis assaulted the Germans with a Bren gun to free 2 British troops who had been cornered in a building. He successfully rescued both soldiers. The bravery shown by Hollis in Normandy on D-Day preserved many British lives and he was accorded the Victoria Cross. He was injured in September that year and the next month was presented with his medal by King George VI. Now, his Victoria Cross is on display at the Green Howards Museum in Yorkshire alongside quite a few other Victoria Cross awarded in combat to other soldiers of the same regiment.
A huge number of Allied soldiers landed on the five beaches of Normandy; Gold, Sword, Juno, Omaha and Utah. There were countless acts of bravery yet there was only one single Victoria Cross granted on D-Day. It was given to CSM Stan Hollis who ended up on Gold Beach.
Hollis was a veteran who had seen combat at Dunkirk, El Alamein and Sciliy. He had already been taken prisoner by the Afrika Korps but had managed to escape to rejoin the war.
Discipline wise, Hollis was never a model soldier yet on D-Day, there was no doubting his expertise as a soldier. He had also been recommended for a Distinguished Conduct Medal while in action in Italy and it was as part of the offensive on the Mont Fleury Battery that Hollis earned his Victoria Cross in action with the Green Howards regiment.
While his company, advanced off the landing beach, he observed two pillboxes had been missed. As Hollis went along to look into, the Nazis inside commenced shooting. Hollis attacked them and eliminated both pillboxes acquiring quite a few pows in the act. This made it possible for the primary exit from the beach front to stay open.
Later in the day close to the village of Crepon, Hollis assaulted the Germans with a Bren gun to free 2 British troops who had been cornered in a building. He successfully rescued both soldiers. The bravery shown by Hollis in Normandy on D-Day preserved many British lives and he was accorded the Victoria Cross. He was injured in September that year and the next month was presented with his medal by King George VI. Now, his Victoria Cross is on display at the Green Howards Museum in Yorkshire alongside quite a few other Victoria Cross awarded in combat to other soldiers of the same regiment.
About the Author:
The D-Day invasion in Normandy witnessed the start of the Allied fightback in World War II. Today, the beaches are frequently visited by tour groups wanting to see the old battlefields with their own eyes.. Also published at The Single Victoria Cross of Operation Overlord.