Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 021, folder 18: Stanley Elton Hollis

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- 5 - On way over Hollis had said to his old friend Lieutenant Kirkpatrick as he admired the new army issue watch he had got. "When you've stopped quivering if you get it, Lieutenant, I'll have that watch." "If that happens Stan", he said, "its yours".

At 2 minutes past five that evening the Lieutenant and his batman, Youngs, were killed by mortar fire. Hollis knew theexact time because the watch on the Lieutenants 's rist was smashed and it had stopped at 5.02. He took off his identity bracelet, his rings and his hat badge, Hollis hadn't the heart to take the watch. Youngs died in his arms. Hollis felt bad about Youngs. "Write my mother, Sarge" he said.

(Kirkpatrick was a platoon (IC) in D Company).

Kirkpatrick had walked about all day with a broken arm which he received during the attack on the gun battery. . . . . . . H Company was moving far over on the right, but D Company never saw them again after the landing.

. . . . . .

They went through Crepon. Everything was shuttered and closed up. Dead cows lying in fields, smell of cordite everywhere. Saw no civilians, and continued down to town of Creully. Hollis figures that his Company bypassed Creully.

. . . . . .

When Kirkpatrick was killed D Company hadadvanced across a grass field in open order with some Bren gun carriers which had caught up with them and as the road was reached they encountered their first real counterattack by shell and mortar fire. These were more seasoned troops - the harder core. Kirkpatrick, Youngs were killed and Lieutenant Fitzwilliam of a Bren gun carrier platoon was wounded and sent back. Two or three men lifted him on the Bren gun carrier, unconscious. The counter attack lasted about half an hour (5.45 over).

Avanced in open formation in this manner until they reached a point about 8 miles from Bayeaux. It was getting dark. They sent out recce patrols into the town that night. At the end of D-Day, D Company had been joined by C & B Companies with A abreast to That night they dug in in an orchard. Private Ian Headley (one of the Bren gunners who had been left behind) shared the dug-out with Hollis. He was the runner. Hollis thought back over the day and told Headley the mistake the 17 & 18 platoons had made in bypassing the pillbox in landing. "It could have been fatal", he told Headley. "Might have caught B & C Companies when they landed, in the next wave." That night as he made the rounds of his Company he discovered for the first time that his friend Pat Mullally had been killed on the way up to the battery. It never dawned on him that he might have been killed that day. But he did wonder why he hadn’t killed the Germans in the battery. The truth was that he couldn’t have done so even if he’d wanted to. Hollis didn’t go to sleep that night. For the first time that day, he remembered that he was hungry. He had a can of self-heating soup and sitting on the step of the dug-out, hewaited for the counter-attack which he was sure would come.

. . . . . .

Beside him was a loudspeaker from the "listening posts" ahead with the patrols. "We can hear some voices ahead". "Sounds like tanks ahead". Finally came a voice "It’s all quiet". But Hollis knew that they would attack. The first D-Day had gone well, he flet satisfied, he felt proud of his regiment, but just the same he knew they’d attack. "They had done as well as anybody". "They’ll come", he told Headley, "They’re sure to come".

Last edit 4 months ago by Moriarty42
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-6They advanced to the furthest point on Gold Beach.

Headley wanted to be in the Durham Light Infantry. He was a little, inoffensive chap, full of guts. He kidded them abut the Durhams. "The Durhams wouldn't have done this or that."

Last edit 4 months ago by Moriarty42
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Company Sergeant Major Stanley Elton Hollis aged 28 on D-Day was married + had 2 children (boy 10;Brian Elton Pauline girl 5) Been in army since 1939 wife's name Alice married in Feb 1932 address: 33 Henny Taylor Court Old Ormesby Middlesbrough Yorkshire now a sand blaster === saw action in France 1940- evacuated from Dunkirk; fought with 8th Army in Egypt + 11th Africa; than invasion of Sicily and finally D-Day- all with 50th Div

Singlehandedly he had captured gun in Sicily + was mentioned in dispatches He had been wounded 4 times before D-Day Three times he had been asked to take a battlefield commission but it would have meant leaving his 50th div

A tall quiet man of simple tastes he rarely got angry but when he did he seemed to be colder almost oblivious to what was happening around him This generally happened when men of his own battalion- boyhood friend from his town of Middlesborough were killed or wounded He had been known to cry with anger

Last edit over 1 year ago by LibrarianDiva
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He was tough as a Sergeant Major at no time did he think he would be wounded or killed But "I was always able to tell the men who were going to get it I don't know how- but I could sense it 80% of the time I was night" He was with the 6th Batt of the Green Howards He was CSM of D Co The Green Howards in his opinion "were the finest trained group to go in on D-Day but withtin a few weeks their losses were so terrible that the battallion was shot to pieces + the reinforcements weren't the same- it was never the same again"

"Fear is a grand thing for a man It educates you It teaches humility once upon a time I thought I was the bravest man in the world I was big headed But fear taught me humility and in that way God

He's not a religious man although C of E the only time he had been to church during war had been a memorial service in Sicily That day in an open field --- with 700 soldiers a German sniper opened

Last edit over 1 year ago by LibrarianDiva
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fire from somewhere and damned near - hit him The bullet hit a tree he was leaning "The only time "he said, "I go to church during the war I damn near got killed"

He killed 102 men throughout his entire war career One he beheaded with a machete (he came across a machine gun post by accident; the German raised his Schmeisser pistol Hollis swung the knife + was surprised to see the man's head roll off) in his first bayonet charge in Italy he bayonetted a German directly through the stomach with such force that his bayonett purchased the circulars belt buckle (with the words "Gott Mit Huns") around the edge) went in + came out the man's back He pulled out the bayonet The German stood there looking at him without saying a word Then he turned and walking steadily away Hollis watched him amazed He raised his rifle when the German was more than 100 yards away from Then he fell dead Hollis couldn't understand what made the German walk that far He had often laid for 2 days at a time watching a machine

Last edit over 1 year ago by LibrarianDiva
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