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

been joined by C + B companies with A abreast to pesert Batt front that night they dug in- in an orchard ^Pvt 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 he told Headley about the mistake the 17 + 18 platoon had made in by passing the pillbox on 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 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 truth was that he couldn't have done so even if he'd wanted to Hollis didn't go asleep that night For the first time that day he remembered he was lunging He has a can of selheating soup and sitting on the step of the dug-out he waited for the counter-attack which he was sure would come ====

Beside him was a loudpspeaker from the "listening posts" ahead with the patols "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 felt satisfied, he felt proud of his regiment, [in margin]"They had done as well as anybody," [end in margin] but just the same he knew they'd attack. "They'll come," he told Healey, "They're sure to come." Advance to furtherest point on Gold Beach.

Healey wanted to be in Durban. Little inoffensive chap full of guts. Kidded us about D. wouldn't have some this or that"

EXTRACT FROM "THE STORY OF THE GREEN HOWARDS"- for background to exploits of Company Sgt.Major Hollis, V.C.

Holllis Extract from THE STORY OF THE GREEN HOWARDS 1939-1945 by Capt. W.A.T. Synge 6 Bn - 6 Jun 44 Tho next morning reveille was sounded at 3:15 a.m., but few had slept that night, and many were up on deck watching the flashes from the coast, where the bombers were engaging the enemy's coastal batteries. The morning was misty and dull, and features on shore could not be picked out with any distinction. As a result, the beach defences were not demolished or neutralised by the bombing to the extent that had been anticipated. The "Empire Lance" reached her lowering position for the assault craft at about 5 a.m., being than approximately seven miles from the coast. The Companies then transhipped and, as there was a heavy swell running-- the aftermath of the storm-- they spent two very uncomfortable hours in their assault craft, getting wet and being sick. Battalion Headquarters embarded in a L.C.M.(Landing Craft Mechanised), which was attached to a derrick by a large hook weighing about half a ton. When the craft hit the water,the motion was such that the crew wewre unable to throw off the hook, which for a considerable time bounced up and down on the top of the command carrier. As this vehicle contained at one end a box of grenades, there were many sighs of relief when the hook was eventually released without damage. When the beach was reached, the door of the ramp would not open, and it seemed likely that Lt.—Col*.Hastings and his tactical headquarters would have to sit on the beach being mortared, while his battalion fought the battle without him. However, the ramp yielded eventually to military and unprofessional pressure. The experiences of Major C.M. Hull, M.C., who was second in command of the Battalion, were interesting. He, with two signallers and a runner, was aboard the main signal ship. This was a small craft carrying nothuing but highly powered wireless sets. On this craft Major Hull was in direct communication with the higher military and naval commanders, both afloat and in England, with the Royal Air Foree overhead, and with the Battalion on the assuault beaches. The first task of the signal ship was to navigate the infantry assault craft to within six hundered yards of the shore, or, if

2 visibility was bad, to lead them in until landmarks on the shore could be recognised. It feel to Major Hull's lot to report that the 6th Battalion Green Howards had taken its first objective fouty-eight minutes after landing, and this news was received in London a few minutes later. "I doubt," says Major Hull, "whether the Green Howards have ever received such heartfelt congragulations from the Navy, as when this piece of news came through." Shortly after this a landing craft came up, as previously planned, and Major Hull and his small party joined the remained of the Battalion on shore. The naval combardment was terrific. Salvos from H.M.S. Warspite sounded like express trains thundering overhead. Cruisers and destroyers joined in, and landing craft carrying 25 pounders fired unceasingly as they steamed ahsore. In addition there were rocket ships, which came within a hundred yards of the shore, and each of which fired off four salvos a minute of ninety rockets each. At 7.37 a.m. on June 6 1944 the leading companies of the Green Howards waded the last sixty yards on to the shore of France. Unfortunately several men of "A” Company were drowned before the shore was reached, including Sgt. Emmerson, an excellent N.C.C., whose death was a great loss to the Battalion. In the face of heavy mortar fire and machine-gun fire from the pill boxes Captain F.H. Honeyman led his company with great dash across the beaches, and, with the assistance of one tank of the 4/7th Dragoons, overcame this resistance. The forward sections of the Company were then held up when they reached the sea wall, from behind which the enemy was lobbing grenades. Captain Honoyman, although he had been hit in the arm and leg by splinters, rushed forward, and by his personal courage and initiative, restored the impetus of the attack. In this daring action he was ably assisted by L/Sgt. H. Pronty and L/Cpl. A. Joyce, who leapt over the wall, and charged the enemy, firing sten guns and throwing grenades, until the latter were all dead or had surrendered.