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| Distinguished
Service Order |
![[image] Distinguished Service Order.](images/new-images/dso.jpg)
Distinguished Service Order. |
Introduced in 1886, the Distinguished
Service Order (DSO) was awarded to Officers in circumstances
where the Victoria Cross was deemed inappropriate.
Major E. D. Hollands was awarded the DSO in 1943
for the part he played in an action known as ' 'teamroller
Farm' during the Tunisian campaign.
In this action all the tanks except Hollands were
knocked out. Undaunted, and as his driver said "now
fighting mad", Hollands ordered his tank to
charge on alone. He destroyed two German 88mm guns
and chased after the retreating Germans. |
![[image] A Churchill tank operating in Tunisia during the Second World War.](images/new-images/churchill_tank.jpg)
A Churchill tank operating in Tunisia during the
Second World War. The tank's identification numbers
have been blanked out due to the wartime censor. |
![[image] Press cutting of Hollands' award](images/new-images/holland_dso_cutting.jpg)
Press cutting of Hollands' award |
At one point, with all the tank's machine guns
jammed, he stood half out of the turret hurling
grenades at the fleeing enemy.
A German sniper who dared to take a pot shot at
Hollands from a slit trench was met with a barrage
of high explosive shells.
Somehow the German survived. Weakly dropping his
rifle he started to stagger away in a daze. Hollands
yelled to his crew "Stop Firing, he deserves
to live!", and let him go. |
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