You may see soldier silhouettes appearing on and around Halton landmarks. Twenty-one commemorative silhouettes of First World War soldiers have been placed across the borough to mark 100 years since the Armistice.
Halton Borough Council and the local Royal British Legion plan to commemorate the Centenary with a programme of events that will enable Halton residents to reflect and remember the huge sacrifice that so many made during the War.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1x5VF6po8k2jTF_L3LfMKx9gJgt1LyVtf&usp=sharing – Click here for an interactive map of the #Haltonsoldiers (you can use this hashtag when you put your own pics on Twitter).
Work commenced in early October on restoring and cleaning the War Memorials in Widnes, Runcorn and Hale and will be completed in time for the Remembrance Sunday Services that are taking place in November.
The work has been part funded by a grant from the War Memorial Trust of £11,750 with the remaining funds being provided by the Council.
Each of the memorials was constructed from different stone, Portland, White Granite and Sandstone respectively, and the works have included careful cleaning and re-pointing of the masonry and minor repairs.
In addition the bronze plaques and cast iron wreaths on the Widnes Cenotaph have been cleaned and re-waxed and all inscriptions cleaned to ensure that they are legible. All works have been carried out in compliance with best practice guidance from Historic England and have been undertaken by a specialist contractor under the supervision of a Conservation Architect.
Frances Moreton Director War Memorials Trust said “War Memorials are a tangible connection to our shared past creating a link between the fallen and today. It is vital we ensure that our war memorials are in the best possible condition for their age and the charity is delighted to support Halton’s project.
In the coming days a variety of silhouettes will be displayed around the Borough to symbolise the communities that took part in WW1, and shaped the nation as we know it today. Each local Area forum has agreed to fund and site silhouettes in their local Area.
The silhouettes are near life-size and represent the members of the communities the nation says thank you to, including soldiers, those who gave medical support, soldiers from across the commonwealth, RAF/RFC, Navy, munition factory workers and suffragettes who lead the fight for votes for women.
During the week leading up to this year’s Remembrance Sunday the Mersey Gateway will be lit up red to symbolise the poppy and to commemorate the servicemen and women killed in the conflict.
Halton Borough Council Leader, Cllr Rob Polhill, said: I am pleased to announce that we are sponsoring the Silent Silhouettes, and have also repaired and cleaned the main war memorials across the Borough to mark the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War One.
“The Silent Silhouettes are the idea of The Royal British Legion as a ‘Thank You’ to the First World War generation who served, sacrificed, rebuilt and changed the nation.
“There are different silhouettes to symbolise the communities that took part in WW1. I think they are a great idea as they’ve allowed communities to display their thanks and have also raised funds towards the work that the Legion does day in day out to support service personnel, veterans and their families.
“Let’s hope this year is the best collection ever, on this the anniversary of the end of WWI.”
A Tommy Silhouette set to be displayed outside the Brindley Theatre is provided by Millbank Holdings Ltd, a leading engineering and technical resource management company headquartered in Runcorn.
Managing Director David Hopley said “We are very proud to be sponsoring this campaign in our local community, which commemorates the centenary of the First World War. 100 years ago, the guns fell silent and it is time to thank all those who served, sacrificed and changed our world.”