How Gold Beach Hero Stanley Hollis Won The Only D-Day Victoria Cross | WW2 Walking The Ground
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- World War Two historian James Holland and writer/comedian Al Murray are on Gold Beach, on the Normandy invasion coast, walking the ground in the footsteps of Stanley Hollis VC, Company Sergeant Major D Company, 6th Battalion Green Howards. Hollis performed two acts of incredible heroism that were to win him the only D-Day Victoria Cross, the highest British award for gallantry. Their first stop is on the eastern end of Gold Beach where Hollis and the rest of the 6th Green Howards landed. James Holland and Al Murray then head to the key locations where Hollis's two Victoria Cross actions took place. First they walk (and sprint!) the ground near Ver-Sur-Mer where Hollis led a brave attack on a German bunker complex that led to the capture of 30 enemy soldiers. Join historian James Holland and writer and comedian Al Murray (from the popular We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast) as they follow in the footsteps of World War II soldiers, unearthing fascinating historical insights and captivating tales along the way. Exclusively on TH-cam. Subscribe now: / @ww2walkingtheground ".
Hi guys and many thanks for doing your walks.
This video means alot to me
My Grandad, George Bailey went ashore here on gold beach, Green Howard's. He was injured when a shell exploding close to him.
He ended up in a field hospital and from there shipped back to Blighty. My Gran said that she knew nothing of his welfare for a while after. When I was young I remember feeling shrapnel in his arm and leg , also being told of troops sinking from the weight of equipment when leaving the landing craft. Only wish I could of listened more to his long army service record being in India,or taken more notice as I was young when he passed.
I managed to visit Gold beach a few years ago on a war tour, and felt the hairs rise on my neck as I walked the beach. I am lucky to have his medals, a nice hanky embroidered with thanks, and a great deal of his army paperwork at home. Again thanks for doing this video, I will share with my family.
Thank you for this wonderful comment. And thank you for watching and sharing!
Al's "oh heavens" when Jim took off running had me chuckling!
Mightily impressive, thank you. First visited Ver-sur-Mer in 1969 on a school visit, supervised by fierce RC nuns. Second visit was to Arromanches as a JINF in 1976 supervised by comparatively less fierce Para NCOs. The older I get the more humbled I am by what those blokes did in 1944.
James is a "type A" historian 😂.
Love you guys, the enthusiasm you bring to the subject matter is inspiring.
A relative of mine was in the 6th bat green howards. He died on D-Day, not sure exactly where, but his name is on the memorial at Crepon and he's buried in the commonwealth cemetery in Bayeux.
Lest we forget. Brave man. What was his name?
That ‘Gott in himmel’ has me dead 😂😂😂
Loving this series so much - great addition to the famous podcast 😊
My dad landed Gold beach section red king one of the first to step on the beach with 5th East Yorkshire's.
Loving this series. Thank you for all the hard work of everyone involved!
@@hayleylicence6525 Thank you. Really glad you’re enjoying it.
Just a fantastic series so far I could listen to you guys all day
Love this story. Thanks for sharing it
My Dad's battery was in 69th Brigade in support of the Green Howards.
Absolutely brilliant,how you immerse yourselves in history is fascinating 👏
Loving the jacket, Mr Holland…
I think we need to do a video just on jackets - or maybe a channel! 😉 Thank you for watching.
The US British and Canadian flags behind you at 8:10 is beautiful
Outstanding work. Love the story of Stan Hollis.
If you'd been a couple of dozen yards further east at the start of this video, you'd have been on the exact spot COPP men Logan Scott-Bowden and Bruce Ogden Smith did their beach recce on New Year's Eve 1943. The peat in this area wasn't always covered by sufficient sand to allow vehicles to cross safely. I guess the need to get to the Mont Fleury battery meant they had to land here regardless.
Visited Stan’s hut after dragging my girlfriend around the British memorial on my 28th birthday in February. It started to rain so she stayed in the car ha! Thank you for the brilliant series.
No mention of ‘lavatory pan villa’?! Brilliant series so far.
I hope this series continues as there is so much WW2 history to show and connect together. I suggest La 7 Roche Guyon (Rommels HQ).
@@Triumph-Tiger-90-Com We will be continuing and covering a range of places and actions. For a clue where the next series will be, check out what Al’s next book is about…
@@WW2WalkingTheGround I recommend St Nazare as a location especially the Uboat Pens, Ship Museum, Commando Memorial, Graves and the Grand Cupola at nearby La Baule. Try Compegne where the French surrendered in 1940 and the Tank museum at Saumer. Further afield the Udvar Hazy Center Washington DC, Dayton Air Museum and the superb collection at Motts Military Museum, Columbus Ohio. Enjoy your travels.
Im thinking James would have been a type B himself with how eager he is to sprint 😂
Stanley Hollis what a legend! We've stayed in Crepon many times a lovely place too
Love the clogs lads keep up the good work 👏
Thanks 👍
Walked that ground today as well as taking in the Normandy Memorial
Summarising James’s comment regarding the small number of troops at the point of a division
Division
3 Brigades - 2 forward
3 Battalions 2 forward so 4 attacking
4 companies 2 or 3 forward so 12 attacking
3 platoons 2 forward so 24 attacking
3 sections 2 forward so 48 attacking so under 500 attacking.
I would be interested to know when and in what order the rest of the division landed? I imagine the platoon and company HQ would come ashore with their troops? Battalion HQ shortly after?
What's this all about 2 blokes running up the street. 😂 Brilliant keep it coming chaps, loving this 👍
More to come! Thank you for watching.
part from the re-enactment and man jogging. Fascinating.
The Kriegsmarine assured OKW that this beach was unsuitable for an amphibious landing.
I'd love to see you guys retrace David Render/Stuart Hills/Sherwood Rangers tank tracks as it were. Especially if you can find that spot where David Render watches a Cromwell sink.
Anyone have a good link to an aerial photo from the time? Would love to know what it looked like 80 years ago.
Imperial War Museum have them. Go to collections. Select photos and WW2 with D-Day (or 6th June 1944) Gold Beach King Green for 69th Brigade. Lots of photo reconnaissance images. You can download, but if you upload anywhere you need to put copyright IWM.
You wonder if the residents realise the history under their feet
Your joking. Didn't you see the flags?
@@thelanehunterdevon1664 I did but never under estimate human behaviour.
So there is a A, B, C scale of mad bastard charge. And this guy was just on the right side of I want back home but let’s get into this mob. 😮 The guy who puts himself in danger rather than live with the fact he sent others in and they didn’t make it. It’s the knock on effect on troops that know at the very least they know this guy won’t let them down and in all this confusion he’s the one thing they can focus on and believe in. If I remember right from the podcast this is the same guy who went back to run his pub and a quieter life feeling no need to explain his exploits to anyone.
6:33 "Argh! Gott und Himmel"
Middle aged men should know not be to running about at their age
Why?