Richmond’s local military museum, The Green Howards, will be marking the 80^th Anniversary of D-Day with the official launch of an exciting new exhibition on Friday 10^th May. Focusing on the extraordinary contribution of the 2000 Green Howards who landed in Normandy on 6^th June 1944, the exhibition will bring to life the heroic individual stories of Green Howards soldiers who contributed towards the momentous historic victory, including that of Private Ken Cooke, one of the last surviving veterans of the D-Day landings.

At an exclusive private viewing to be held on the evening of Friday 10^th May, amongst the guests to be treated to a reception of drinks and canapes will be museum trustees, local councillors and Baroness Brenda Hale, who is also a Green Howards Museum Trustee. Tours, talks and an exclusive behind-the-scenes-view of the new exhibition, along with the story of its painstakingly well-researched creation and its remarkable artefacts, will all be part of the evening, including a special nod to the Stan Hollis VC, which is on permanent display at the museum.

Most fittingly, Stan Hollis’ granddaughter, Amanda Hart, will be the museum’s special guest at the official opening. A local Middlesborough man, Stan’s heroic endeavours on D-Day earned him the ultimate military accolade as the recipient of the only Victoria Cross awarded on D-Day. His story is amongst many whose individual tales of heroism will be retold in the exhibition.

The museum’s Head of Collections, Zoe Utley, said, “We’re very excited to be welcoming Stan’s granddaughter, Amanda Hart, as our special guest at the official opening of the exhibition. Amanda is a great advocate for the legacy of her grandfather and an extraordinary link to Green Howards’ history. It’s an honour to be welcoming her on behalf of her grandfather.”

The new exhibition opens to the public on Monday 6^th May and marks a series of special D-Day events that the museum will be hosting this coming season, starting with an evening in conversation with actor and historian Matthew Leitch (Band of Brothers) on 4^th June and the official exhibition launch on the 10^th May. Plans are already underway for the D-Day anniversary on 6^th June, which starts with a Service of Remembrance at The Green Howards Memorial on Frenchgate, Richmond, at 6.30am. Guided tours, talks and a special artefact handling session (already sold out) will follow, along with a series of family-friendly Troop Briefings for all exhibition visitors, an exclusive book launch, Family History Drop-in Days and further talks running throughout the summer until the exhibition closes on 20^th December. With the museum’s specialist research services and regular educational sessions running concurrently with the exhibition calendar, it promises to be a busy 2024 season!

Underlining the incredible level of research and expertise that has gone into creating the exhibition by museum staff and local volunteers, The Green Howards Museum CEO, Emma Woods, said, “The D-Day Exhibition is the result of many months of work by our Head of Collections, Zoe Utley, our specialist researcher, Steve Erskine, and our amazing team of volunteers who research and piece together individual accounts of bravery. 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^th June 1944. It’s an honour to pay tribute to those who gave so much.”

At the heart of the Green Howard Museum’s mission is its specialist research service centred on the discovery, recording and preservation of artefacts, stories and memories for future generations. Located in the old Trinity Church in Richmond’s Market Place, the museum is a charitable trust committed to conserving 300 years of Green Howards military history and providing a continuing, accessible narrative of its prestigious past. Based locally in Richmond Castle and then in the barracks on Barrack Hill (now The Garden Village), the Green Howards served in every major conflict around the world, including the Crimean War, World Wars I and II, and more recently, the Gulf War. The museum’s regular exhibitions and events commemorate not only the history of the Green Howards but also reinforce the unique heritage link between the regiment and Richmond’s local community.

Exhibition runs 6^th May 2024 – 20^th December 2024

See The Green Howards 80^th Anniversary D-Day Exhibition at The Green Howards Museum, Trinity Church Square, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 4QN.

Open Monday to Saturday 10am – 4pm.

See www.greenhowards.org throughout 2024 for further information on exhibitions, tours, talks, workshops and family-friendly events.