A testament to one man's courage in the face of almost insurmountable odds is helping to tell the story of the greatest seaborne invasion.

Company Sergeant Major Stan Hollis, of the Green Howards, was the only man to be awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on D-Day in June 1944.

His medal is now on show at an Imperial War Museum exhibition in London, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Allied invasion.

The medal is usually on display at the Green Howards Regimental Museum, in Richmond, North Yorkshire, and is on loan to the exhibition.

It tells the story of June 6, 1944, using the accounts of those who took part, from commanders who planned the invasion to a secret agent working behind the lines.

CSM Hollis, of D Company, 6th Battalion the Green Howards, was awarded the VC for his actions at the Mont Fleury Battery, where he almost single-handedly captured two pillboxes and took more than 20 prisoners.

Later, at the village of Crepon, he rescued two of his men under enemy fire.

He was wounded in the leg and evacuated to England in September 1944, and was decorated by King George VI at Buckingham Palace on October 10. He died on February 8, 1972, at the age of 59.

In 1982, his medals were auctioned at Sotheby's, where they fetched a then-record sum of £32,000 and in November 1997 medal-collector Sir Ernest Harrison OBE presented them to the museum.

Curator Major Roger Chapman said: "Sixty years after Hollis's actions on D-Day, the regiment is proud to know that his heroism is still honoured not only in his local area but nationally.

"We were delighted to lend his VC to this special exhibition. It will be back with us next year."