Shrouds of the Somme
In collaboration with Shrouds of the Somme, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission gathered the stories, diary extracts and images of the more than 72,000 casualties commemorated on the CWGC Thiepval Memorial.
To mark the centenary of the end of the First World War in 2018, 72,396 shrouded figures were laid out in London, one for each of the servicemen commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Shrouds of the Somme was an extraordinarily powerful piece of commemorative art that resonated around the world.
The enormous scale brought a genuine sense of the true cost of the conflict while remembering the individuals who gave their all. Through the collation of photos and details of the lives of the casualties, we aimed to humanise the names on the Thiepval War Memorial to help future generations discover and cherish the stories of those who gave their today for our tomorrow.
Explore some of the submissions below: