Eerie figures evoke memories of those who gave their lives

ST Cuthbert’s church in Halsall has won an award from the Armed Forces Covenant Trust of five silhouettes to represent all the Tommies from Halsall who went to fight in the Great War 100 years ago – but especially the men who lie in the churchyard.

They are a physical representation under the ‘there but not there’ campaign created by the charity ‘Remembered’ to commemorate the sacrifice of the fallen.

They will also help to educate younger generations into an understanding of the loss of 888,246 people from Britain and the Commonwealth in World War One and to help those presently suffering from the effects of combat.

The silhouettes have been installed in the pews from until the end of November covering the period of Armistice, which took place 100 years ago.

Particularly poignant will be two silhouettes placed side by side because they represent the village’s Prescott brothers, Charles and Joseph.

Stephen Henders, the Churchwarden, has created a map of the churchyard showing all the World War One graves and several memorials.

He hopes the representations of the soldiers will honour those men who did make it home and those who didn’t and whose memorials remain empty because their bodies were never found and they lie where they fell.

All the World War One graves and the memorials are marked with a plaque indicating they were local heroes.