This bronze sculpture entered the collection in 1998; two years after its life sized counterpart was unveiled in the village of Crépon, northern France.
The sculptor, James Butler RA, has depicted the weary figure of a Second World War soldier of the 6th or 7th Battalion, who, by D-Day, had seen action at Dunkirk, in the Western Desert and Sicily. It features the likeness of Green Howards soldier Stanley Hollis, the only recipient of the Victoria Cross on D-Day.
Crépon is a few miles inland from the landing beaches, about 6 miles from Bayeux. It was liberated by soldiers from the regiment following the Allied invasion of northern France in 1944. The site for the memorial was offered by the town to mark the Green Howards’ role in the Second World War. It was unveiled by by His Majesty Harold V, King of Norway in October 1996.
The museum’s collection relating to this piece includes a range of archive documents, including invitations to the unveiling of the memorial, a souvenir programme, and photographs of the event.
Diagram from the site plan proposal for the memorial from the museum archive.
- More information about the artist
- More information about the artwork
- More information about Green Howards memorials