A salute to Yorkshire's D-Day heroes as The Green Howards Museum shines a light on tales of bravery

Incredible acts of heroism and bravery were to play out on Normandy's shores for one of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War.And among those to land on June 6, 1944, were 2,000 men of The Green Howards who had a key role to play in this making of history.
Ruby Kitchen
By Ruby Kitchen
Published 18th May 2024, 06:00 BST

Now to mark next month’s 80th anniversary of D-Day, the stories of these men are to be shared once more at the regiment's Yorkshire base.

First there is the account of York's Ken Cooke, one of the country's last surviving veterans of the D-Day landings. Then the fierce bravery of the late Stanley Hollis, awarded the only Victoria Cross of that momentous day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Researchers have been furiously at work behind the scenes, in the archives of Richmond's The Green Howards museum. Artefacts and accounts in this special exhibition now hope to bring these men’s stories to life, sharing their contribution to wartime victory.

Head of Collections, Zoe Utley at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond with medals awarded to CSM Stanley Hollis including his Victoria Cross, photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post. A new exhibition at the museum commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944.Head of Collections, Zoe Utley at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond with medals awarded to CSM Stanley Hollis including his Victoria Cross, photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post. A new exhibition at the museum commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944.
Head of Collections, Zoe Utley at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond with medals awarded to CSM Stanley Hollis including his Victoria Cross, photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post. A new exhibition at the museum commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944.

Museum chief executive Emma Woods it has been many months of work for head of collections Zoe Utley with specialist researcher Steve Erskine, and a team of volunteers, to piece together these incredible accounts.

She said: "The D-Day narratives told in the exhibition - which are often heart-wrenching stories of courage and self-sacrifice in the face of extreme challenges - are a huge part of both the Green Howards’ history and the wider involvement of our armed forces on June 6 June 1944. It’s an honour to pay tribute to those who gave so much.”

Almost 2000 men from The Green Howards were to set foot on French soil on D-Day, for the first time since the defeat at Dunkirk four years prior.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The exhibition explores the stories of some of those who arrived by sea, or from the sky, alongside those who didn't make it as far as the beach and others who were still fighting more than a year later.

CSM Stanley Hollis awarded the Victoria Cross on display at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond. A new exhibition at the museum commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944.CSM Stanley Hollis awarded the Victoria Cross on display at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond. A new exhibition at the museum commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944.
CSM Stanley Hollis awarded the Victoria Cross on display at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond. A new exhibition at the museum commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944.

As an 18-year-old, Private Cooke had thought at first that D-Day might be a great adventure - until the following day, when he realised his ‘pals’ were missing.

The father and grandfather, a Rowntrees’ Factory worker whose company had landed to a barrage of bullets on Gold Beach, has often recalled this bloodiest day of war.

The heroes, he always says, are those that didn't come back.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And Stanley Hollis VC, a Middlesborough man, who was the recipient of the only Victoria Cross awarded on D-Day. Considered an 'old man' for the company, Sgt Major Hollis was aged 31 and among the most experienced men of the unit.

The new exhibition at the The Green Howards Museum in Richmond commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944. photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post.The new exhibition at the The Green Howards Museum in Richmond commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944. photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post.
The new exhibition at the The Green Howards Museum in Richmond commemorates the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6th June 1944. photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post.

Landing at Gold Beach, he was put in charge of three machine gun and three mortar teams. As they came under fire, he charged 30 yards over open ground to save them, capturing 30 Germans. And then, just a few hours later, he covered two gunners by striding out into the open to draw enemy fire.

His VC is on permanent display at the museum, and his granddaughter Amanda Hart was special guest at an exhibition preview late last week, along with museum trustee Baroness Brenda Hale.

The exhibition, which runs until December, marks the start of a series of special events. On June 4, the museum will host an evening in conversation with actor and historian Matthew Leitch of Band of Brothers. On June 6, there is to be a Service of Remembrance.

Related topics:YorkshireBrenda Hale