Ribbon Boy

A Story of Hope, Liberation and Freedom

15 August 1945 marked VJ Day and the end of the Second World War. It was a moment defined by liberation, relief and hard won hope.

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day in 2025, and to honour the prisoners of war and civilian internees held in East Asia, Standing with Giants created The Ribbon Boy, one of our most personal and emotionally resonant works.

Unlike many of our large scale installations, The Ribbon Boy tells a quieter story of war. A story of waiting, uncertainty, captivity and survival. It reminds us that victory brought freedom not only to military personnel, but also to thousands of civilians who had spent years imprisoned far from home.

The Story Behind The Ribbon Boy

The Ribbon Boy was inspired by a real ribbon drift marker dropped from an aircraft over Stanley Internment Camp in Hong Kong in 1945.

The ribbons falling from the sky brought desperately awaited news that aid was coming and liberation was close. For those who had endured years of captivity, something as simple and fragile as a piece of fabric became an extraordinary symbol of hope.

For Standing with Giants founder Dan Barton, the story has a deeply personal meaning.

Dan's father was interned at Stanley Camp as a young child alongside his family. He was later given one of the original ribbons dropped over the camp and, many years later, passed it on to Dan.

Holding that small piece of history had a profound effect on him and became the inspiration for The Ribbon Boy.

This wasn't simply history being remembered. It was family history, lived experience and memory forged in steel.

Design and Meaning

The young figure represents childhood innocence caught within the brutality of conflict.

Above him, the ribbon captures a moment when something incredibly small could carry an enormous message, that the war was ending, help was coming and freedom was finally within reach.

The sculpture brings together powerful contrasts: childhood and war, fragility and resilience, captivity and freedom, despair and hope.

It reminds us that the freedoms we enjoy today were not handed over lightly. For so many people, freedom was something they endured, waited and hoped for, often at immense personal cost.

The Ribbon Boy Across the UK

In 2025 and 2026, four Ribbon Boy figures were displayed at significant locations across the UK as part of the national commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

These included:

  • St Paul's Cathedral

  • Norwich Cathedral

  • The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

  • The Not Forgotten Garden Party at Buckingham Palace

At Buckingham Palace, The Ribbon Boy formed part of Standing with Giants' presence at The Not Forgotten Garden Party, where the sculpture was also seen by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

Each setting introduced a new audience to a lesser told chapter of the Second World War and helped ensure that the experiences of prisoners of war, civilian internees and, importantly, the children caught up in the conflict in East Asia remain part of our national story of remembrance.

One Ribbon Boy was also presented to Dan's father, who was just three years old when he was interned with his family at Stanley Camp, bringing the story full circle.

VJ Day marked the end of a war. For those still held in captivity, it meant something even more personal.It meant they were finally going home.

The Ribbon Boy stands in remembrance of them and as a reminder never to take our freedom for granted.