How you rallied to
Lord Dannatt told how 160 councils had backed the campaign – but more than 250 had either refused or not even bothered to reply.
The 6ft-tall aluminium silhouettes cost £750 but 10in perspex replicas are also available for £29.99.
And yesterday There But Not There said sales had soared following the Daily Express coverage
The director of Remembered, former Army officer Rowley Gregg, said: “We saw a 300 per cent increase in sales of our 10in commemorative Tommy figures, which is a phenomenal response and shows just how driven the British public are to commemorate those who died in the First World War.
“We have also had a number of councils get in touch sharing images of their 6ft Tommies and stories of the losses their communities suffered in the war.
“We hope many more councils will be able to get involved and raise funds for veterans in need of support today.”
Mr Gregg has first-hand experience of life in the frontline. He won Tommies have been honoured in Gibraltar and at the Golden Gate Bridge, right the Military Cross for his bravery in Afghanistan in 2009.
Lord Dannatt, who won the Military Cross in Northern Ireland, said: “It is brilliant that over 160 councils have signed up to be part of There But Not There. Along with many schools, villages, churches and community groups, it is hoped that many of the other councils in the UK will come on board too, as we try to bring alive the memory of those who fell in the First World War.”
Though many councils have snubbed the campaign, it has caught the imagination of countries which fought alongside Britain as allies during the war. Last week Gibraltar showed solidarity by projecting the image of a 1,000ft tall Tommy on to the famous Rock.
In the United States the statues have been installed in Washington DC outside the Capitol and by the Washington Monument, and near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.