‘Tommy’ silhouettes and poppies in place to help Watford pay its respects

Silhouette figures of First World War soldiers or ‘Tommy’s’ and poppies, have again been installed across Watford as part of an art installation called ‘There But Not There’ run by military charity charity Remembered.

The campaign, which the council has been supporting since 2018, aims to respect those who died in the First World War, symbolising more than 1.1 million British and Empire service men and women who did not make it home. It also aims to educate all generations about why so many made the ultimate sacrifice, and to raise funds to help heal those suffering from the hidden wounds of war.

Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: “We have been supporting this campaign since 2018 and we feel it is very important for these silhouettes to be situated in Watford as a reminder of just what sacrifices people made during the two World Wars. The impact that the wars had on our town was enormous, with huge numbers of Watfordians joining the call to arms and the town also pulled together around the war effort.

“We will also be commemorating those who fought in later conflicts such as Captain Tom Sawyer, Corporal Christopher Harrison and Private Tom Lake.

I hope residents are able to join the Remembrance Service and pay their respects.” Outside the Town Hall on Sunday 14 November (3pm)