Dudley 'Peace' monument unveiled to honour Britain's Commonwealth veterans
A new 'Peace' sign has been unveiled in Dudley to commemorate the sacrifices of those who fought in Britain's wars.
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The peace monument sits on the Coronation Gardens, on Ednam Road, Dudley, and features five-foot letters, surrounded by 80 silhouettes of soldiers, airmen and sailors.
The monument was organised by Dudley community leader and British Empire Medal awardee, Rose Cook-Monk, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Second World War, and recognise the often harsh sacrifices made by those who have fought in Britain's conflicts throughout the years.
As well as the silhouettes, which feature military personnel of all faiths and ethnicities, the individual letters of the monument also play a crucial role, with each letter being filled with holes, allowing the public to hang letters to remember those they have lost.
Talking about the monument, Ms Cook-Monk said: "This monument commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
"In the silhouettes, we have airmen, sailors, soldiers, females and people from all religions. This is to commemorate not only the British Armed Forces but also the armed forces from across the Commonwealth as well."
The memorial, which was manufactured by the Dudley-based design and manufacturing group, Midtherm, will remain at the Coronation Gardens location until Armistice Day in November, when red poppies will also be added.
Ms Cook-Monk said: "The memorial will remain here until Armistice Day in November, so it will cover VE Day, VJ Day, the Battle of Britain, the end of the Falkland War, and Armistice Day.
"Each of the letters has holes in them for people to leave messages or hope for peace, messages for loved ones they lost in conflict, or just messages of support."
The organiser said that the letters will be collated, where they will be put into a time capsule which will be placed under a rose bush that will be planted in the gardens.
The memorial coincides with a now sold-out Peace concert that will take place at the Dudley College of Technology on The Broadway on Thursday evening, which will honour the armed forces from across the Commonwealth.
The silhouettes can be sponsored for £75 each, with the money raised going towards the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
For more information on how to sponsor a silhouette, email Rose Cook-Monk at roserbldudley@gmail.com
