Antiques Roadshow 2024: The Green Howards Museum in Yorkshire to be featured in BBC show for D-Day 80th anniversary special presented by Fiona Bruce this weekend

The Antiques Roadshow episode, which will feature The Green Howards Museum, will air on Sunday, June 2 on BBC One.

To commemorate D-Day on June 6, 1944, the Antiques Roadshow team visited the museum in Richmond to film militaria specialist Bill Harriman, viewing the medals of CSM Stanley Hollis VC, the only soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross on D-Day.

Stanley’s granddaughter, Amanda Hart, was at the museum to show Bill her grandfather’s collection of medals and explain his actions after he landed on Gold Beach in Normandy as Company Sergeant Major of the 6th Battalion Green Howards. This included two separate occasions where he saved the lives of many of his men.

On the first occasion, Stanley cleared a pillbox, which was threatening the Allied advance and concealed Germans whose machine gun fire were likely to have killed many British soldiers in their attempt to move inland from Gold Beach.

He took 26 prisoners before clearing several more Germans from a neighbouring trench and securing his men’s safety. Later that day, in the village of Crepton, he and two men attacked a German field gun; the Germans returned fire, Stanley managed to get away but, when he realised the other two men were trapped, he told his commanding officer, Major Ronald Lofthouse: ‘I took them in. I will try to get them out’.

Stanley then went back into the position alone, fully exposed to the enemy and continually being fired upon, before creating a diversion with a Bren gun and grenade which enabled the two men to escape.

Ms Hart said: “I’m humbled by the interest that’s still been shown in my grandfather and that people remember what he did and he’s not been forgotten.

“It’s always a pleasure to be here. I’ve really enjoyed the new D-Day Exhibition and I always fully support the work of the museum.”

Stanley’s VC is on permanent display in the museum’s Medal Room, which houses 4,500 medals, including 14 VCs and three George Cross.

All the medals tell stories of brave and heroic men, but with D-Day 80 approaching, the Hollis VC has been the focus of most interest.

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Head of collections, Zoe Utley, said: “Stan’s Victoria Cross is one of the most important objects in the Green Howards collection.

“We are very proud to be the home of Stan’s unique Victoria Cross and to tell his story of impeccable leadership, duty and friendship.”

Stanley’s story forms part of a bigger museum exhibition detailing some of the personal stories of the 1,200 Green Howards who served in Normandy on D-Day.

Though part of their actions are well-documented, the individual stories of men which are told through letters, personal items, clothing, and first-hand accounts from those who were there, give a much more rounded picture of men like Hollis and Private Ken Cooke, one of the last surviving soldiers of D-Day.

CEO of the museum, Emma Woods, said: “The museum tells the inspiring stories of ordinary people who did extraordinary things – and this is certainly demonstrated by our current special exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day which remembers the important part the Green Howards played in the beach landings on 6th June 1944. It’s an honour to pay tribute to those who gave so much.”

The D-Day 80th anniversary special episode featuring The Green Howards Museum will air on Sunday, June 2 on BBC One at 8pm.

The museum is open from Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm.