Volunteers are helping to install ‘giant’ soldier silhouette statues at the British Normandy Memorial, back for a second year following the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in 2024.
Standing With Giants is a UK charity which, alongside a team of volunteers, has been working on the installation overlooking Gold Beach in Ver-sur-Mer (Calvados), since March 31. It will be finished tomorrow (April 11) in time for the official opening on Saturday, April 12.
“Some of the new soldiers this year include medics, radio operators, and Scotsmen with kilts and bagpipes, as well as more French resistance fighters. Interestingly, all of them have been made from photographs of people on the streets of Arromanches [Arromanches-les-Bains] that were dressed up for the [2024] D-Day celebrations.
Soldier silhouettesKevin Raymond
“Dan, the co-founder of the charity, brought them to life through his designs,” explained Mark Lawrence, the Normandy Coordinator for Standing With Giants.
“The silhouettes were taken down in September last year as they were used for another installation in the UK,” he added. “There was so much interest in Normandy - for both British nationals coming over but also for French people and expats living in France - that the memorial helped to raise some funds and of course the Standing With Giants charity also helped to raise enough funds to get them back again this year.”
The British Normandy Memorial has remained open as the installation comes together, already attracting hundreds of people keen to see the return of these life-sized soldiers, which are made from recycled materials.
“There has been even greater awareness so far this year, which is great,” said Mark, who helps to encourage and organise the France-based volunteers on the project.
The Connexion spoke to one of these volunteers. Kevin Raymond, 59, is originally from Suffolk but now lives in Normandy. He decided to get involved with the installation after hearing about it from an ex-military friend.
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“You cannot live in this part of Normandy without daily reminders of D-Day really, whether it is war memorials, or in some places you can’t even dig your garden up without finding bits of war in it. It was good to get involved just to remember the sacrifices. It is hugely important, especially here,” he said.
The return of the giants
Kevin said there were roughly 25 volunteers on site, the majority of whom were British, with some ex-services, and even local French people too. One family was on holiday in the area and decided to stop and help.
Volunteers install the D-Day giantsKevin Raymond
“We had the choice between drilling or pegging… Erecting each silhouette needs two 50 cm holes drilling through rocky soil, plus another four holes for guy ropes. It's labour intensive to say the least but we got lots of tea breaks,” said Kevin.
“The silhouettes are not just placed randomly - each one is placed to face directly to the French flag in the very centre of the memorial. So it has got to be in the right position, and we made sure each type of soldier - sailors, airmen, medics - are interspersed.
“During the lunch break I went into the forest where there is a small memorial section for the French Resistance. There was no one else around, it was moving.”
“At the end of the day the site was a lot quieter. You look at the whole thing and realise the scale of it. I don’t think anyone could walk through without getting a real sense of respect for the soldiers who died there.
“The memorial itself is a beautiful place and this installation just adds to it.”
Names inscribed on the British Normandy MemorialKevin Raymond
Wandering between the silhouettes is a beautiful experience, however Mark mentioned that members of the public may be discouraged from walking through the fields this year:
“The reason for this is the biodiversity of the ground. There have been hundreds of kilos of wildflower seeds put down this year and we want to encourage these poppies and the other wildflowers to grow because they look absolutely incredible with the giants.”
It has not been confirmed whether signs will be placed to warn visitors.
People can apply for tickets to attend the opening ceremony on Saturday (April 12) and for the official remembrance service and celebration event on May 8. More details can be found on the British Normandy Memorial trust website.
The silhouettes will be in place all summer before being removed on September 12, after which they will return to the UK.
“We need to raise awareness because we would love for them to come back again. I am inundated with messages from people asking why they aren't staying here permanently, but it is complicated. There are huge costs involved for the charity in bringing the giants and the equipment across the Channel,” said Mark.
If you would like to help with the deinstallation of the D-Day silhouettes, contact Mark at: mlawrence@labichurie.com
