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A cast bronze, slightly larger than life, crouched figure of Company Sergeant-Major Stanley Hollis. It depicts him in Battledress with 1937 Pattern Equipment and Steel Helmet, advancing with a STEN Sub-Machine Gun. The statue stands on a tiered black marble pedestal, on a paved base. Set into the base are four bronze plaques showing the Victoria Cross and badge of the Green Howards. The statue is surrounded by a circle of highly polished marble blocks: five squat ones, each with the name each of one of the landing beaches; and five taller ones, each with a slanted top and engraved as an interpretation panel. On the reverse of each of the squat blocks, facing the statue, is a single letter which together spell the soldier’s name. Two taller rectangular blocks form an entrance into the inner area, giving the impression of a gateway.
Title
Company Sergeant-Major Stanley Elton Hollis (1912–1972), VC
Date
2015
Medium
bronze & polished granite
Measurements
H 150 x W 70 x D 150 cm;
Plinth: H 90 x W 260 x D 260 cm
Accession number
TS5_HJC_S032
Acquisition method
purchased by public subscription
Work type
War memorial
Owner
Middlesbrough Borough Council
Custodian
Middlesbrough Borough Council
Work status
extant
Unveiling date
26th November 2015
Access
at all times
Signature/marks description
located on base of the figure in front of his right foot: Brian Alabaster
Inscription description
at entrance to the installation are two oblong pillars flanking the circular plinth: 1936 / Stanley Elton Hollis VC / 1912 - 1972 / 1945; around the outside of figure, on the marble slabs, from right to left: slab 1: DUNKIRK / OPERATION DYNAMO / After the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium by the German Army, / an armada of about 1,500 little ships helped evacuate the Allied troops to larger vessels / waiting off the French coast to take them to England. / over 330,000 troops, mostly British and French were safely evacuated from the / beaches, including Corporal Stanley E. Hollis, 6th Battalion The Green Howards. / The 'DUNKIRK SPIRIT' is still aroused today by the British people in times of / national adversity; slab 2: UTAH BEACH / NORMANDIE, FRANCE / 6 JUNE 1944 / D-DAY; slab 3: D-DAY – OPERATION OVERLORD / 6 JUNE 1944 / THE NORMANDIE BEACHES / UTAH - AMERICAN / OMAHA - AMERICAN / GOLD - BRITISH / JUNO - CANADIAN / SWORD - BRITISH; slab 4: OMAHA BEACH / NORMANDIE, FRANCE / 6 JUNE 1944 / D-DAY; slab 5: THE VICTORIA CROSS / This medal was introduced on 29 January 1856 by Queen Victoria and since then has been / awarded to over 1,300 men for gallantry in the face of the enemy. Eighteen of these / medals have been awarded to Green Howards. / CSM Stanley E. Hollis was presented with his Victoria Cross by King George VI at an / investiture held at Buckingham Palace on 10 October 1944. / slab 6: GOLD BEACH / NORMANDIE, FRANCE / 6 JUNE 1944 / D-DAY; slab 7: THE GREEN HOWARDS / Middlesbrough's Local Infantry Regiment / Stanley Elton Hollis was serving with this Regiment during the evacuation from / Dunkirk in 1940. / After Dunkirk, his battalion moved overseas to Iraq, Palestine and Cyprus before going / into action in the Western Desert. He fought at El Alamein in Egypt, through Libya and / into Tunisia to help defeat the Italian Army and German Afrika Korps. In 1943 he was / involved in the invasion of Sicily before returning to England to prepare for Operation / Overlord – D-Day.; slab 8: JUNO BEACH / NORMANDIE, FRANCE / 6 JUNE 1944 / D-DAY; slab 9: COMPANY SERGEANT MAJOR / STANLEY ELTON HOLLIS BW2VC / 1912-1972 / The only serviceman to be awarded the Victoria Cross D-Day for his gallantry on Gold / Beach at Mont Fleury Battery and in the village of Crépon, during the Allied invasion of / Normanue on 6 June 1944. / The incredibly brave yet modest family man was born at Archibald Street, Middlesbrough / on 21 September 1912. / A never-to-be-forgotten leader, protector and inspiration to his comrades.; slab 10: JUNO BEACH / NORMANDIE, FRANCE / 6 JUNE 1944 / D-DAY; slab 11: GREEN HOWARDS BADGE / Although the local Regiment, The Green Howards, dates back to 1688 when it was / founded, it was not until 1875, that their first Colonel in Chief – Alexandra, the Princess of / Wales – designed their badge. / It consists of her cipher – a large A for Alexdandra with the Dannebrog, the Danish Cross of / her own country, super-imposed. Above is the Princess of Wales's coronet. The XIX / underneath denotes the 19th Regiment of Foot.; set into the paved base on the outside of the granite slabs are 17 bronze plaques: Pte John Lyons VC / 10 June 1855 / Sebastopol / Crimean War; Pte Samuel Evans VC / 13 April 1855 / Sebastopol / Crimean War; Sgt Alfred Atkinson VC / 18 February 1900 / Paardeberg / Boer War; Cpl William Anderson VC / 12 March 1915 / Battle of Neuve Chapelle / WW1; Maj Stewart W. Loundoun-Shand VC / 1 July 1916 / Battle of the Somme / WW1; 2Lt Donald S. Bell VC / 5 July 1916 / Battle of the Somme / WW1; Pte William Short VC / 6 August 1916 / Battle of the Somme / WW1; Capt Archie C. T. White VS MC / 27 September to 1 October 1916 / Battle of the Somme / WW1; Capt D Phillip Hirsch VC / 23 April 1917 / Battle of Arras / WW1; Pte Tom Dresser VC / 12 May 1917 / Battle of Arras / WW1; Cpl William Clamp VC / 9 October 1917 / 1st Battle of Passchendaele / WW1; 2Lt Ernest F. Beal VC / 22 March 1918 / Western Front / WW1; Lt Col Oliver C. S. Watson VC DSO / 28 March 1918 / 2nd Battle of the Somme / WW1; Pte Henry Tandey VC DCM MM / 28 September 1918 / Marcoing / WW1; Sgt William McNally VC MM & Bar / 27 to 29 October 1918 / Rover Piave Crossing, Italy / WW1; Lt w. Basil Weston VC / 3 March 1945 / Meikuila, Burma / WW2; Lt Col Derek A. Seagrim VC / 20 to 21 March 1943 / Mareth. North Africa / WW2
