The Memorial
|
Original drawing of the
proposed
statue by
local artist Peter
Hodgkinson |
The original idea for a soldier in full kit has
been modified. Local WW1 Historian and authority
on the Chorley Pals, John Garwood, pointed out
that the men actually went over the top with
their rifles "at the port". The original design
shows rifle and bayonet in the advance position
whereas "at the port" means across the chest.
The Pals were told to walk across No Man's Land
as they would not meet any resistance from the
Germans who would have been overwhelmed by the
artillery bombardment that lasted virtually for
the whole of June 1916.
The sculptor agreed with Trustees that there
should be some dynamic to the statue and it will
be on a base resembling sandbags at the top of a
trench parapet. More images of the statue will
appear here as they become available from the
sculptor, Peter Hodgkinson.
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