Over 250,000 volunteers and businesses from across the UK, including Frome, have helped create an 8ft glass and steel, poppy-shaped sculpture, the first memorial of its kind dedicated to every one of the 1,117,635 British and Commonwealth servicemen/women killed or missing in action in World War 1. Next year, the sculpture will go on a tour of the UK.
After the sculpture was unveiled in Wincanton in October, Frome was the first town on its Somerset tour, arriving on the 2nd November at the Memorial Theatre It has continued around Somerset, finishing at Clarks village this week.
During the tour, volunteers wrote every individual name recorded by the War Graves Commission on a paper poppy and all 1.1million poppies were contained within the sealed-glass sculpture, along with artefacts and vials of soil from the battlefields of every continent involved in World War 1.
The glass Poppy is flanked on four sides by the Tommy Guards of Honour. The sculpture will be taken on a tour of the UK throughout 2019, as well as the Menin Gate in Belgium.
Organiser and creator Terry Williams said, “This is the first national memorial holding the collective names of every person killed or missing in action in WW1. The response from the public, business and groups has surpassed our hopes and ensured that every single husband, wife, brother, sister, son and daughter who gave their lives will be remembered in this centenary year and for years to come.
“Although they are gone, they will never be forgotten.”
Details of the sculpture: The Poppy of Honour will stand 2730mm high, 2112mm wide and 320mm deep. The rib is made of 3mm steel plate rolled to the shape of a remembrance poppy. The front and back is 10.8mm thick safety glass. Artists Impression:
37 different countries around the world have been involved in writing on the poppies, each name remember by its creator.
Above: Mayor of Frome, cllr Richard Ackroyd with Terry Williams.
