Honouring our D-day heroes: Work resumes on British Normandy Memorial commemorating the 22,442 UK troops who died in the 1944 invasion after coronavirus stopped construction

  • Craftsmen seen carving words of Winston Churchill's 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' speech into stone walls
  • £20million memorial will take shape above the beaches where so much blood was shed to free a continent
  • All major allied nations except for Britain already have their own national memorials on French soil 
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

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Work on a new memorial to commemorate the 22,442 British troops who died in the 1944 Battle of Normandy has restarted after the coronavirus pandemic ground construction to a halt.

Master craftsmen were seen carefully carving the words of Winston Churchill's monumental 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' speech into the stone walls of the £20million British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer which is taking shape above the beaches where so much blood was shed to free a continent.

The memorial was initially intended to open on September 5 however, due to Covid-19, the public will not be able to visit the site until the spring or early summer of 2021. 

All the other major allied nations, including the Americans and Canadians, have their own national memorials on French soil but, until now, there has been no such monument to the largest presence of them all — the British.

Some who died in the Battle of Normandy - D-Day being the first day British troops landed on French soil to begin the battle - are remembered in cemeteries or on smaller monuments scattered across the region. Many, though, are not.

Work on a new memorial to commemorate the 22,442 British troops who died in the 1944 D-Day landings and in the Battle of Normandy has restarted after the coronavirus pandemic ground construction to a halt

Work on a new memorial to commemorate the 22,442 British troops who died in the 1944 D-Day landings and in the Battle of Normandy has restarted after the coronavirus pandemic ground construction to a halt 

George Edwards, Letter Carver from the Richard Kindersley Studio cuts into the British Normandy Memorial
Gus Fisher, another Letter Carver from the studio cuts Churchill's speech into the wall

The £20million memorial which will take shape above the beaches where so much blood was shed to free a continent. Pictured: Two letter carvers cut into stone as work on the memorial resumes

Coronavirus ground construction of the British Normandy Memorial to a halt. Work has since started again on the plot

Coronavirus ground construction of the British Normandy Memorial to a halt. Work has since started again on the plot

Master craftsmen were seen carefully carving the words of Winston Churchill's monumental 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' speech into stone walls

Master craftsmen were seen carefully carving the words of Winston Churchill's monumental 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' speech into stone walls

Every single combatant under British command who fell in the Battle of Normandy - from the aircrew who perished during the campaign to the nurses killed on sinking hospital ships - will be honoured at Ver-sur-Mer with their names engraved in polished stone (pictured)

Every single combatant under British command who fell in the Battle of Normandy - from the aircrew who perished during the campaign to the nurses killed on sinking hospital ships - will be honoured at Ver-sur-Mer with their names engraved in polished stone (pictured)

All the other major allied nations, including the Americans and Canadians, have their own national memorials on French soil but, until now, there has been no such monument to the largest presence of them all — the British. Pictured: Construction of the memorial has resumed

All the other major allied nations, including the Americans and Canadians, have their own national memorials on French soil but, until now, there has been no such monument to the largest presence of them all — the British. Pictured: Construction of the memorial has resumed

The huge stone walls require scaffolding so that the master craftsmen can reach high enough to hand-carve words into them
A letter carver can be seen working on a section of the wall

The huge stone walls require scaffolding so that the master craftsmen can reach high enough to hand-carve words into them

The complex overlooks the stretch of sand forever afterwards known as Gold Beach - the most central of the five Allied landing sectors - and the remains of the famous Mulberry defences beyond

The complex overlooks the stretch of sand forever afterwards known as Gold Beach - the most central of the five Allied landing sectors - and the remains of the famous Mulberry defences beyond

Words from King George VI's speech on D-Day can be seen etched into the wall. It reads: 'Now once more a supreme test has to be faced. This time, the challenge is not to fight to survive but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause'

Words from King George VI's speech on D-Day can be seen etched into the wall. It reads: 'Now once more a supreme test has to be faced. This time, the challenge is not to fight to survive but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause'

Some of the names of the heroes who died during the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy in 1944 as part of the memorial

Some of the names of the heroes who died during the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy in 1944 as part of the memorial

The 52-acre site was inaugurated on June 6 2019, 75 years on from the very morning when British troops landed there. Pictured: Construction workers on the site

The 52-acre site was inaugurated on June 6 2019, 75 years on from the very morning when British troops landed there. Pictured: Construction workers on the site 

Artist's impression: The design of the memorial features a dramatic statue depicting three soldiers as a centrepiece

Artist's impression: The design of the memorial features a dramatic statue depicting three soldiers as a centrepiece 

Every single combatant under British command who fell - from the aircrew who perished during the campaign to the nurses killed on sinking hospital ships - will be honoured at Ver-sur-Mer with their names engraved in polished stone. 

The complex overlooks the stretch of sand forever afterwards known as Gold Beach - the most central of the five Allied landing sectors - and the remains of the famous Mulberry defences beyond.

The 52-acre site was inaugurated on June 6 2019, 75 years on from the very morning when British troops landed there.

The then Prime Minister Theresa May and the French president Emmanuel Macron joined a small group of veterans to unveil a dramatic statue depicting three soldiers which will form the centrepiece of the memorial.

The memorial was expected to be completed within a year, however the coronavirus pandemic forced construction to temporarily halt. Pictured: The view of Gold Beach - the most central of the five Allied landing sectors

The memorial was expected to be completed within a year, however the coronavirus pandemic forced construction to temporarily halt. Pictured: The view of Gold Beach - the most central of the five Allied landing sectors

The memorial is covered in scaffolding and plastic as construction continues now that social distancing measures have been eased

The memorial is covered in scaffolding and plastic as construction continues now that social distancing measures have been eased

It was expected to take one year to finish the memorial, however the coronavirus pandemic forced work to wait. Pictured: Construction starting up again

It was expected to take one year to finish the memorial, however the coronavirus pandemic forced work to wait. Pictured: Construction starting up again

Designed by Liam O’Connor, the award-winning architect behind London’s Bomber Command Memorial, the ‘contemporary but classical’ memorial will blend into the sacred landscape. Pictured: One of the stone columns and views of the beach

Designed by Liam O’Connor, the award-winning architect behind London’s Bomber Command Memorial, the ‘contemporary but classical’ memorial will blend into the sacred landscape. Pictured: One of the stone columns and views of the beach

The government approved a £20million grant to acquire the seafront site and commission designs. Pictured: Part of the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer

The government approved a £20million grant to acquire the seafront site and commission designs. Pictured: Part of the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer

The money designated for purchasing the land and designing the memorial came from fines paid by banks implicated in the Libor scandal (involving manipulation of interest rates). Pictured: Construction of the memorial

The money designated for purchasing the land and designing the memorial came from fines paid by banks implicated in the Libor scandal (involving manipulation of interest rates). Pictured: Construction of the memorial

In 2019, the government pledged a further £7 million to complete the memorial, a significant proportion of which is hand carved (pictured)
A list of names of some of those who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in 1944

In 2019, the government pledged a further £7 million to complete the memorial, a significant proportion of which is hand carved (left). Right: A list of names of some of those who died on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy in 1944

Standing 9ft tall and weighing several tons, the three figures are not based on any individuals and deliberately carry no legible regimental markings or insignia. 

Since then, builders have been hard at work laying foundations and erecting the limestone pillars bearing the names of the dead, all carefully engraved by a firm of master masons in Northern Ireland.

The memorial was expected to be completed by September, however the coronavirus pandemic has forced this date to be pushed to 2021.

The names of those who died during the Battle of Normandy and on D-Day are etched into stone columns on the grounds of the 52-acre memorial

The names of those who died during the Battle of Normandy and on D-Day are etched into stone columns on the grounds of the 52-acre memorial

A stone carver meticulously works to carve Churchill's speech into the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy

A stone carver meticulously works to carve Churchill's speech into the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, Normandy

But pictures today showed that work is well and truly resumed with letter carvers from the Richard Kindersley Studio etching the words of Winston Churchill's 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' speech into walls of stone. 

Designed by Liam O’Connor, the award-winning architect behind London’s Bomber Command Memorial, the ‘contemporary but classical’ memorial will blend into the sacred landscape. 

The government approved a £20million grant to acquire the seafront site and commission designs. The money came from fines paid by banks implicated in the Libor scandal (involving manipulation of interest rates).

In 2019, the government then pledged a further £7 million to complete the memorial.

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