The Royal British Legion in Cottingham spearheaded the moving project which has transformed the lampposts in the village
A Hull community has come together to create a special tribute to those who were killed in service, with silhouette symbols of gratitude to veterans. Observant Cottingham residents will have spotted Tommy Silhouettes positioned on lampposts across the village – 20 shadow profiles of men and women who served in the war, to help residents pay their respects.
And the Royal British Legion has revealed how the community joined forces, with schools, former servicemen and businesses getting involved to make the nostalgic project possible, having seen similar Tommy tributes elsewhere last year.
As the region and nation prepares to mark Remembrance Sunday and the fallen heroes of wars around the world, John Broughton, a former RAF serviceman and deputy chair of the Cottingham branch of the Royal British Legion, said Mjr Gary Fraser, ex-Army Air Corps helicopter pilot and the group’s honorary secretary, had seen soldier silhouettes in Patrington last year.
Mr Broughton said: “Cottingham Branch thought it appropriate for our village to be similarly decked. I approached Cottingham High School’s Head of Design and Technology Iain Baker, proposing that the school might ‘manufacture; similar silhouettes and he replied enthusiastically ‘yes’.
“I visited the Howarth Timber and Building Supplies with a request for sponsorship and since it was a local community venture, assistant manager Matthew Bolton volunteered to donate sufficient 4mm ply to produce 20 soldier silhouettes and paint brushes.”
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He then approached the Beverley Branch of Wickes asking if they could get involved, and the store supplied primer, undercoat and gloss paint to protect the cut-out silhouettes.
The organisers of last year’s display in Patrington had also donated their silhouettes to be used as potential templates, with Iain at Cottingham High School upsizing an A4 Tommy silhouette to a height of four feet.
The school teacher then jigsawed all of the silhouettes, bringing pupils on board to sand the edges smooth, before art teacher Natasha Fewlass enlisted her art club pupils to apply the several coats needed, to make sure the silhouettes are protected from all weathers.
The Cottingham branch of the Royal British Legion worked hard in the background to complete all the paperwork necessary with a number of local authority departments, to make sure all the silhouettes could be mounted in place.
Mr Broughton added: “Things had to be correct. Methods of fixing were approved and the mounting of these silhouettes could go ahead, only a little later than planned. The small but active members of the Cottingham Branch of the Royal British Legion hope that the Tommy silhouettes may stimulate the greater awareness of the Cottingham People of the National Poppy Appeal and increase the generosity of their donations to surpass this year’s target of £15,000.”
Meanwhile, full details of the annual Remembrance Sunday service in Hull can be found here.
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