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THE ‘GIANTS’ ARE RETURNING TO NORMANDY
British Normandy Memorial hosts ‘Standing with Giants’ installation for third consecutive season
Back by popular demand, the silhouettes arrive on Sunday 12 April, with the full installation in place from Saturday 25 April to Saturday 19 September 2026
D-Day 1475 – For Your Tomorrow commemorates the 1,475 lives lost on 6 June 1944 under British command on D-Day. Three years on, this ambitious and captivating project is set to return to the meadow fields of the Memorial. The installation humanises the sheer scale of loss and pays tribute to the names inscribed on the Memorial’s ‘D-Day Wall’. Ever since its inaugural year at the Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer in 2024, hundreds of thousands of people have experienced the power and poignancy of the silhouettes with heads bowed, stood on a hillside overlooking Gold Beach.
In this third consecutive year, new figures will be unveiled among the 1,475. These additions feature Beach Masters, Dog Handlers, Royal Navy Officers, Tank Crew, Merchant Navy and Royal Engineers. Reflecting the wider story of the Normandy Campaign, 40 silhouettes, representing British Commando Frogmen and personnel serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps, will also be included.The project will also features bespoke ‘giants’ to represent the only two women on the Memorial, nurses Sisters Evershed and Field, who died while saving 75 men from a sinking hospital ship; and 50 French resistance fighters, to be placed around the French Memorial.
The return of this unique installation has been made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from the Normandy Memorial Trust’s partners: Airbus UK, BAE Systems, Smurfit Westrock and Gold Beach Tourism Office. The work involved in preparing and installing the silhouettes is carried out by a committed and ever-growing team of Standing with Giants volunteers.
Four artic lorries accompanied by a Harley-Davidson crew will depart from Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, on the afternoon of 10 April. Sailing from Portsmouth to Caen the same night, and the French Harley-Davidson Crew will join us all and we we be assisted to The British Normandy Memorial. the installation will take place from 12 to 24 April, with assistance from British and French volunteer groups.
New!General Lord Richard Dannatt, Chairman of the Normandy Memorial Trust said:
“On behalf of the Normandy Memorial Trust, we are profoundly grateful to our sponsors — Airbus UK, BAE Systems, Smurfit Westrock and Gold Beach Tourism Office — for making it possible for the Standing with Giants installation to return to the British Normandy Memorial this April.
This visually powerful and deeply moving display brings home, in the most immediate way, the scale of sacrifice made on D-Day, and reminds us not only of those who fell, but of the lasting effect on the families, friends and communities they left behind.
It is through the generosity of our partners that we are able to continue honouring their memory in such a compelling and dignified way.
We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to the Memorial for this very special installation.”
Dan Barton, Founder of Standing with Giants charity said:
“Standing with Giants feel deeply honoured and humbled to be returning our Giants for a third year to the British Normandy Memorial, this year marking 82 years since D-Day. We invite people to make the pilgrimage to visit this peaceful, tranquil and beautiful place, and stand in quiet remembrance of our D-Day heroes in the Memorial’s meadow above Gold Beach. The international response to our work continues to humble us, and this year we have introduced eight new figures. These additions bring even more depth to our tribute, so their sacrifice is never forgotten and future generations continue to remember.”
Members of the public can support the Memorial and the Standing with Giants charity by sponsoring a commemorative plaque for £150 in honour of a loved one who fell in any battle or conflict. The plaques will stand in front of the Giants during their summer installation and will then remain at the Memorial for at least five years — a lasting and visible tribute to their sacrifice. More information about the plaques and the British Normandy Memorial (which is free to visit and open year-round) at: www.britishnormandymemorial.org/plaque/
Bespoke Standing with Giants fundraising merchandise will also be available at the Memorial shop, located in the Winston Churchill Centre for Education and Learning.
Poppy Challenge
In 2024, a national Women’s Institute call-out led by Standing with Giants volunteer and WI member Toni Briggs resulted in an incredible 37,000 handmade poppies being sent to us , forming a key part of our For Your Tomorrow, Normandy D -Day display.
As we prepare for our 2026 displays, we are restoring the plinths around our soldier storage crates , and we would love to invite WI members and individuals to knit or crochet additional poppies to add to the display.
No specific pattern or size required — you’re welcome to knit or crochet in any style you choose. Pins or fasteners not required.
All details to get involved please click here
We are delighted to announce our UK host site for For Your Tomorrow will be National Trust – Waddesdon Manor, displaying in October and November 2026.
Our Celebration of Freedom installation is, currently on display at Portsmouth Historic Quarter
Two powerful installations, one outside Storehouse 9 and one in the Starboard Arena beside HMS Victory.
'Celebration of Freedom' invites quiet reflection on the freedoms we enjoy today set against an iconic Naval landscape.
FREE to view now until 28 May 2026
FREE entry with a Historic Quarter Pass or your Portsmouth Historic Dockyard ticket, just ask at the Visitor Centre. Historic Dockyard from 9 January – May 2026.
