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Somme memorial sculpture created to highlight Swindon’s role in The Great War

A new memorial sculpture
commemorating the Battle of
the Somme in 1916 has been
designed by Dr Mike Pringle of
Swindon Heritage, and created from
battlefield finds
Representing multiple nations that
fought in the First World War, the
seven foot cross of remembrance
has been constructed by Stainless
Supplies in Royal Wootton Bassett.
Mike is in the process of finding an
exhibition space for the sculpture at
the time of going to press.
Mike said: “I have this image of
the cross in a darkened setting with
a single spotlight to illuminate it.
Unfortunately, with summer coming
there aren’t that many suitable dark
places so we are looking at various Designer Dr Mike Pringle with the new Somme Memorial Cross
venues and halls that can play host
to the sculpture. However, if we that there were no victors in this remembers.” the Somme battlefield in Northern
could get the right setting for the war, only the victims. The impact of the Battle of the France, recording the names of men
cross I believe its poignancy and Mike added: “I feel that Somme was felt heavily on a local who fell but were never found to be
power will be very emotive. sometimes with remembrance level because of the introduction of buried.
“Although the cross is a piece events, Swindon occasionally the ‘Pals battalions’, where groups Ninety five per cent were
of artistic design, it’s very eery. It misses the boat and I wanted to of friends, colleagues, neighbours employees of the GWR Works.
is made of battlefield finds, and make sure this time that we were and sports teams signed up to fight As well as the Somme memorial
I tried to make sure every nation seen to be commemorating the together. cross, Dr Pringle is also working
was represented. We have British, fallen as much as anywhere else. More than 100 soldiers from with Isambard School and the
French, German, potentially some Swindon sacrificed so much during Swindon are commemorated on Orbital Shopping Centre in North
American artifacts and more the First World War and I feel it’s the Commonwealth War Graves Swindon to highlight the town’s
besides. We are trying to illustrate so important to show that Swindon memorial at Thiepval towering over aeronautical history.

2 swindonlink.com n June 2016

June 2016 Master Pages.indd 2 20/05/2016 10:59