First World War Tommy statue heading for historic Hartlepool site

A £750 six-foot aluminium figure in the shape of a World War One soldier is to be bought by public donation and a number of councillors who have pledged money from their ward budgets.

The tribute is expected to be in place at the Heugh Battery Museum on the Headland in time for this year’s Armistice centenary commemorations.

Headland Councillor Shane Moore has been spearheading the fundraising after 11 of the silhouettes were placed on the cliffs at Dover.

Coun Moore said: “A resident posted on Facebook that they had seen the installation at Dover to commemorate sailors lost in the channel.
“A lot of people were saying how elegant and fitting a tribute it was and suggested we have something similar in Hartlepool.”

Coun Moore set up a crowdfunding page at gofundme.com which has raised £280 so far.

On the page Coun Moore adds: “Given that the first British casualties on British soil happened in Hartlepool during the bombardment of our towns it was felt that we should do something to show that whilst nationally the sacrifice our small town endured is often forgotten we, the people will not forget and we will honour the memory of those who came before us and fought for our town.”

With the money raised by the public and councillors’ contributions, enough has been raised to buy at least one of the Tommy silhouettes.

Coun Moore says he has spoken to the Heugh battery Museum about installing it in front of the battery, first as a temporary feature with the aim for it to become permanent.

The silhouettes are one of a number of Tommy products for the 2018 Armistice project There But Not There which aims to place a representative figure for every name on local war memorials around the country.

Proceeds go to the new charity Remembered which aims to educate all generations about why the soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice and raise money to help heal those suffering from the hidden wounds of war.

The gofundme.com page titled Remembrance silhouette for H’Pool closes tomorrow so Hartlepool’s Tommy can be bought and installed in time for November 11.